Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par To Stream On YouTube For Rs 100, Skips OTT Release

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Actor-producer Aamir Khan announced during a press conference held in Mumbai that his latest film, Sitaare Zameen Par, will not be streamed on any OTT platform. Instead, the film will be directly released on YouTube from August 1, 2025.

While promoting Sitaare Zameen Par, the actor had previously denied rumours of the film releasing on YouTube, which he clarified during the conference on July 29, stating that he wanted to protect the film's theatrical business. Aamir Khan apologized for misleading the audience: “I fold my hands and apologise because I lied when I said Sitaare Zameen Par wouldn’t be released on YouTube. I did it because I had no other choice. I had to protect the film’s theatrical business,” said Aamir.

He explained his loyalty towards theatre and how his life began with cinema. Aamir further shared, “I have always strived to protect the theatrical business of my films. Still, I apologise because I had to lie. Otherwise, my dreams for this film would’ve ended there.”

Speaking on the harm that the subscription model is causing, he highlighted that Over-the-Top platforms are more interested in films that have a big actor’s name attached to them. He asked, “Where does everyone else go?” Although he was never fully convinced by the subscription model, he believes the Indian film industry has always functioned on a pay-per-view model.

The actor has now introduced the same model with the help of YouTube, which is widely accessible, to bridge the gap between makers and audiences. He said, “We visit the theatre once, we pay once, and we watch the film once. So I decided to replicate the same model that has been used in theatres to digital devices.”

The Lagaan actor expressed his views on the subscription model, which he believes has not been doing well for the film industry. Aamir Khan plans to release his films on YouTube under the pay-per-view model, costing ₹100, on his channel—Aamir Khan Talkies.

He explained the difference between the subscription and pay-per-view models, where if he releases his film on an OTT platform after eight weeks, people may not watch it even though they’ve subscribed to the platform. “It wouldn’t matter if someone wants to watch it or doesn’t by then. I don’t want ₹125 crore from a big company, I want ₹100 from my audience. I believe the subscription model is only causing us harm,” said the actor.

Sitaare Zameen Par (2025) is a comedy-drama adapted from the Spanish film Champions (2018), directed by R.S. Prasanna, starring Aamir Khan and Genelia Deshmukh, and produced by Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Aparna Purohit, and Ravi Bhagchandka. The film collected over ₹250 crore worldwide and is set to release on YouTube on August 1, 2025, for ₹100.[Rh/VS]

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