Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par nets 20x revenue on YouTube pay-per-view model

Mumbai: Bollywood’s most experimental star-producer, Aamir Khan, has upended traditional film distribution with the pay-per-view (PPV) YouTube release of his latest production Sitaare Zameen Par, which has reportedly generated 20 times more revenue than typical PPV releases in India. 

Released on YouTube six weeks after its theatrical debut, Sitaare Zameen Par was offered at Rs 100 per viewing. Despite industry scepticism and pushback from his studio, Khan insisted on the model, even buying out his producing partner to bear the risk himself. 

The result has stunned trade observers. “It has done business, which is 20 times more than normal,” Khan confirmed, though he refrained from disclosing exact viewership numbers, citing YouTube’s policy.

The RS Prasanna-directed film, billed as a spiritual successor to Khan’s 2007 classic Taare Zameen Par, tackles themes of inclusivity and education. Its emotional storytelling and Khan’s presence helped build strong word-of-mouth, which translated into heavy PPV traction not just in India but also in North America and Europe.

Khan said his choice of YouTube was deliberate. While streaming platforms had offered him Rs 125 crore upfront for digital rights, he turned them down to create a phased exploitation model, first theatrical, then PPV, followed by OTT and satellite 4–5 months later. “If I had accepted Rs 125 crores, my problem would have been solved. But I was certain I wanted to opt for the YouTube model. My attempt is to open one more window, that’s the correct exploitation of a film,” he explained.

The decision echoes his early attempts in 2011 to release 3 Idiots on a PPV basis through Dish TV and Tata Sky. The idea failed then due to clunky payment mechanisms. “The operator would put you on hold for 30 minutes, then you needed to recharge your balance before the film could play. Aise koi film nahin dekh paayega. Today, with UPI and seamless online payments, that barrier is gone,” Khan said.

Khan argued that the Indian theatrical ecosystem itself remains underdeveloped, with barely 9,000 screens compared to 35,000 in the US and over 1,00,000 in China. “We have a 140 crore population, but only 3–3.5 crore watch films in theatres. Even OTT platforms combined reach only 3–4 crore people. YouTube reaches 50–60 crore every day. That scale is why I believe in this model,” he said, while also stressing the need for more theatres, especially in smaller districts.

The actor admitted he was initially “scared” about the YouTube experiment, particularly after COVID disrupted exhibition economics and drove producers towards OTT deals. “I don’t want to blame anyone, but films arriving on streaming so soon damages theatres. A good film deserves a fair chance at the box office,” he said.

For now, Khan is confident the risk has paid off. “The PPV business is still nascent. In absolute numbers, it doesn’t yet compare with a big OTT cheque, but as a proof of concept, it’s huge,” he said. With OTT and satellite rights yet to be sold, Sitaare Zameen Par is poised to extend its commercial run well beyond theatres.

“I have nothing against OTT. I watch on OTT myself,” Khan clarified. “My issue is with the eight-week window. What I want is to create one more window in between. This is not just for me; it’s for the industry to bounce back.”