Aamir Khan’s Film on OTT: Biggest Hypocrite?

Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par took a bold step by premiering on YouTube through a pay-per-view model, something no major film had tried before, as most opt for OTT after theatres. This unusual choice came with risks, especially piracy, and uncertainty about recovering the investment.

In a recent interview, Aamir surprised many by revealing that the film will eventually stream on OTT, despite him dismissing the idea for months. He also shared that the film’s production cost is about ₹122 crore and he has yet to make any profit from it. The original budget was ₹96 crore, but rejecting OTT deals led to higher costs.

Aamir said YouTube is spending heavily on marketing, with separate budgets for the theatrical and online releases. While he did not reveal the exact revenue split, he hinted that the deal is better than the usual 50-50 between filmmakers and theatres. He believes this could inspire other filmmakers to try new release models.

However, now that the film is on YouTube for ₹100, it is unlikely to get the earlier OTT offer of ₹120 crore from Prime Video, according to trade analyst Komal Nahta. Critics are calling him a hypocrite, suggesting the OTT move happened only because the pay-per-view plan did not work as expected. Whether Aamir secures a good OTT deal or faces a financial loss remains to be seen.