Actor-producer Aamir Khan‘s decision to take Sitaare Zameen Par to YouTube before an OTT release not only shocked Bollywood but also his finances. Aamir Khan revealed in a recent chat that he also had
a co-producer on the film, who didn’t agree with Aamir’s model and asked to be bought out. Aamir Khan had to spend more money to buy out the co-producer’s investment, raising his total spend to nearly Rs 122 crore.
Sitaare Zameen Par Budget
In a recent chat with Matthew Belloni on his podcast, Aamir Khan said, “I had to pay a price also because I had a partner with me earlier, and they weren’t very keen on this rash idea of mine. They didn’t like me turning down money, so they preferred that I buy them out, and so therefore the film has actually cost me about $14 million (Rs 122 crore); let’s say between $14 and $15 million (Rs 122 cr to Rs 133 cr) is what the cost of the film for me is.”
Aamir said that while the initial budget of the film was Rs 96 crore, the cost to put the film on YouTube on a Pay-Per-View model came out of his pocket. However, Aamir added that Sitaare Zameen Par is performing well on YouTube. “It’s doing way beyond what YouTube expected. I’m not allowed to give numbers, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to give any numbers right now. I hope that I make the money back, and right now both YouTube and I are separately promoting it on the platform,” he said.
Aamir explained, “We have a marketing budget for this, and YouTube is putting its strength behind this, and YouTube is also putting up a marketing budget for this. There’s a separate budget for the theatrical release and a separate budget for the YouTube release.” Aamir Khan mentioned that the deal with YouTube is more favourable for him, compared to the traditional 50-50 split offered by theatres.
The actor said, “I think that one of the biggest steps that we’ve already taken is that today my film is actually available across not just India, but outside of India. It is also a great opportunity for younger filmmakers who are making films, indie films, which don’t have huge stars. They just don’t get distribution in theatres.”
Sitaare Zameen Par YouTube Price, YouTube-First Approach
After making Rs 276 crore worldwide, Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par is currently available on YouTube for Rs 100 per view. Reports claimed that Aamir was offered Rs 120 crore by Prime Video for the film’s OTT rights. However, Aamir didn’t budge and opted for a YouTube-first approach. But this does not mean that Aamir doesn’t want an OTT release for the film at all. He said, “We need a Pay-Per-View window between theatrical and OTT, and that’s what I’m pushing to create.”
He continued, “I still feel there is an audience that would watch it on Netflix or Amazon, when it does come on an OTT channel, if they so decide. But the window needs to be six months or five months. My first priority is theatres, and I feel every film needs to be handled differently… Once the theatrical run is exhausted, that’s when I want to come on Pay-Per-View, and that’s a window that can be flexible. I should certainly not be below six weeks. And then, you should give pay-per-view a good three months, and then the film can come on OTT. That’s the ideal window.”
Sitaare Zameen Par OTT Release
Having said that, Aamir is yet to make the sale. I haven’t made an OTT sale. When I spoke to OTT channels, I said I would like to come after six months. But none of them were comfortable with that period. They wanted two months, and they weren’t ready to go ahead with the deal,” he explained.
Sitaare Zameen Par tells the inspiring story of a coach who trains a basketball team made up of neurodivergent children. The film features Aamir Khan in the lead role, alongside Genelia Deshmukh. Its blend of sports drama and social message resonated with audiences and translated into a positive box office performance.
