Aamir Khan’s sports drama, Sitaare Zameen Par, was released in cinemas on June 20 and made its digital debut on YouTube on August 1. While the film had a successful theatrical run, Aamir Khan made a bold
move by delaying the film’s OTT release and opting for a Pay-Per-View (PPV) model on YouTube. In a recent chat with Matthew Belloni, Aamir clarified that he never meant to deprive the film of an OTT release, but only wanted a YouTube release first so that the film could reach wider audiences globally.
Aamir Khan said, “I’m not trying to eat into anyone’s space, I’m just trying to create a space that should have been there to begin with. The reason PPV didn’t take off is because our electronic payments weren’t in place, but because of UPI, there’s a huge difference. All of us use electronic modes of payment. Now is the time to create a window that exists in the rest of the world.”
When asked if viewers being unfamiliar with paying money for content on YouTube was a problem, he said, “I was worried about that, and these were concerns that were thrown at me when I came up with this idea, but I really wanted to give it my best shot. If this succeeds, the creative people in India would have an additional window of pay-per-view before they go to OTT, and that’s what I feel ideally should be the case.”
Aamir Khan said, “The bulk of India does not subscribe to OTT platforms, but there is a section that does, and I’m one of them. My only issue is that the window is too short, and it doesn’t allow for a pay-per-view window. We need a pay-per-view window between theatrical and OTT, and that’s what I’m pushing to create.”
“We released in theatres in June, and after 45 days, we released on YouTube, and then 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,” the actor said.
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.”
When asked about how the film is faring on YouTube, Aamir said, “It’s doing well. It’s doing way beyond what YouTube expected. I wouldn’t be able to give numbers. I would’ve loved to… We have a marketing budget for this. YouTube is putting its strength behind this, and YouTube is putting its marketing budget for this. There is a separate budget for the theatrical release and a separate budget for the YouTube release. All the people I’ve met are really excited about this; they’re just waiting to see the results.”
About Sitaare Zameen Par
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.
