I want Rs 100 from my audience, not Rs 125 crore from OTT: Aamir Khan

In an unprecedented decision, film star and producer Aamir Khan has announced that his latest box-office hit, Sitaare Zameen Par, will completely bypass traditional OTT platforms. Instead, it will premiere exclusively on YouTube Movies-on-Demand, starting August 1st.

Viewers can watch the film on the Aamir Khan Talkies' YouTube channel through a pay-per-view model for Rs 100.

It will be available for rental on YouTube in 38 international markets, including the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Spain, among others, with pricing tailored for each market. Subtitles and dubbing will also be provided in key languages.

The pay-per-view model allows users to pay a one-time rental fee for ad-free streaming of the movie within a 30-day period. Once the user begins watching the film, they must finish it within 48 hours.

Sitare Zameen Par has attracted significant public attention for featuring 10 actors with intellectual disabilities alongside Khan and Genelia Deshmukh. The buzz surrounding the film effectively translated into box office success, with earnings of Rs 164 crore in India and approximately Rs 67 crore from overseas markets.  

Khan’s film distribution pivot comes in response to the decline of the theatre business, attributed to changing viewing habits in India.

At the WAVES Summit 2025, he voiced significant concerns regarding the dwindling theatre business in India, citing the decreasing number of movie theatres in the country and a narrowing window between theatrical releases and OTT platforms.

Before the rise of OTT streaming, cinema halls were the standard mode of film distribution. A film would be produced and typically released in theatres for an average duration of six to ten weeks, although there were notable exceptions, such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which enjoyed an extraordinary run of over 1,200 weeks.  

Those who owned a DVD player would typically wait three to six months after the theatrical window for its DVD release, while those without a DVD player would have to wait an additional six to twelve months for the film to premiere on their family television.  

The landscape of film distribution began to shift gradually with the rise of streaming platforms in India, a transformation that accelerated significantly following the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the once-coveted theatrical run has been reduced to around four weeks, with some films choosing to bypass cinema halls altogether by releasing directly on OTT platforms.

Since audiences are aware that films become available on their subscribed OTT platforms within a month of their theatrical release, they opt to stream them online rather than pay for the continually rising cinema ticket prices.  

The average movie ticket price in India was Rs 134 in 2024, according to Statista. However, in metro cities, ticket prices can exceed Rs 1000 for popular films during prime time slots.

In contrast, well-known OTT platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime offer their basic plans at Rs 149 and Rs 125 per month, respectively.

"Fifteen years ago, I discovered that only about 2.5-3% of people in India attend cinema halls to watch movies. Since then, I have been striving to find a way to reach the remaining 97% of the audience," said Khan at an event before the launch of his film on YouTube.

He attributed the decline in the number of cinema halls in India, the limited geographical access to theatres, the restricted mobility of the sick and elderly, and the absence of affordable options as contributing factors to this statistic. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aamir Khan Productions (@aamirkhanproductions)

His proposed solution? YouTube. As reported by Comscore, a global media measurement and analytics company, YouTube reaches four out of five Internet users in India aged 18 and above, with entertainment videos on the platform generating over 7.5 billion views daily worldwide in 2024. Through YouTube, Khan aims to “reach every home in every village in India”.

Khan believes that, with the increased penetration of the internet and the availability of online payment applications, it is now more feasible than ever for Indians to pay for movies online and watch them on YouTube. 

While the actor had previously asserted that his film would not be available for streaming on YouTube, he apologised for this misdirection, explaining, “I lied because I was trying to protect the theatre business.”

According to Gunjan Soni, country managing director of YouTube India, “Indian cinema’s tryst with YouTube is not new.” She added, “Launching teasers, trailers, music videos, songs, and even fandom videos has always been a part of the film industry methodology.”

"The digital launch of Sitaare Zameen Par exclusively on YouTube underscores a significant step towards democratising Indian film distribution at a global scale,” says Soni, marking the unprecedented move. YouTube claims that it is laying out the red carpet for Indian cinema to stride onto the global stage. ”The theatre is in your pocket now,” she said.

Khan, however, asserted, “My first stop will always be the theatre.” He also clarified that streaming his movie on YouTube is not the same as streaming it on OTT platforms.  

“There is a huge difference between my model and the subscription model. If you rent my movie on YouTube, you will choose to watch it, not stumble upon it on an OTT platform.” 

YouTube is neither paying Khan for the streaming rights nor is he paying for the platform. Instead, profits will be shared each time someone rents the movie. 

Khan also emphasised that he does not have an issue with OTT platforms; however, he believes their timeline is not conducive to the theatre business. “This is why I am launching this new model, hoping it will make cinema great again,” he said.  

He was reportedly offered Rs 125 crore for the streaming rights to Sitaare Zameen Par, but he declined the offer, saying, “I don’t want Rs 125 crore from OTT; I want Rs 100 from my audience.”

On August 1, 2025, Aamir Khan Talkies: Janta Ka Theatre will begin streaming Sitaare Zameen Par, and soon the entire library of Aamir Khan Productions will be available for rent on the channel. Viewers will be able to watch movies such as Lagaan, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Taare Zameen Par, and Dangal on the channel. 

Even movies made by Aamir Khan’s filmmaker father, Tahir Hussain, will be curated on the channel.

Khan is hoping to bring his popular 2012 TV show Satyamev Jayate to Aamir Khan Talkies for free. While the pay-per-view movies will be ad-free, the free content will come with ads. 

Khan also said that he was more than willing to open his platform for young creative talent for a minimal fee. “Half the films made in India are not released because they cannot afford a platform,” he added.

He recounted a personal anecdote about the time he was planning to create Sitaare Zameen Par, during which many advised him to produce an action film instead, as “those work in theatres”. According to Khan, models like his will empower creative individuals to make films of their choosing without the constant concern of financial viability.

While discussions around piracy concerns have taken centre stage following the announcement, Khan said that making films more affordable for the general public will help alleviate these piracy issues.

YouTube claims that it has a comprehensive system of algorithms designed to safeguard copyrighted content from piracy.

Indian theatres may be paying for their plush seating and over-priced popcorn with dwindling footfall, as viewers increasingly opt for convenient and affordable digital alternatives. However, if Aamir Khan’s new model proves successful, it could transform the way films are produced and distributed in India.