Actor-director Aamir Khan recently divulged that he had to acquire his partner to release Sitaare Zameen Par on YouTube instead of OTT. During an episode on On The Town podcast, he spilled the beans about the film’s budget and discussed how the film is faring after its digital release on YouTube now. Here’s what he had to say.
From ₹96 Crore to Over ₹122 Crore: The Cost of a Bold Decision
Aamir said on the podcast that the initial cost for his share in Sitaare Zameen Par was ₹96 crore, but the price went up significantly after his partner wasn’t happy with his ‘rash idea’. He explained, “This film cost us $11 million ( ₹96 crore). I had to pay a price also because I had a partner with me earlier, and then they weren’t very keen on this rash idea of mine. They didn’t like me turning down money, so they preferred that I but them out. So, the film has cost me over $14 million, let’s say between $14 and $15 million ( ₹122-131 crore) is what the cost of the film for me is.”
Film’s YouTube Performance Exceeds Expectations
When he was asked about how the film was doing on YouTube, he replied, “It’s doing better. It’s doing way beyond what YouTube expected. I’m not allowed to give numbers, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to give any numbers right now. I hope that I make the money back, and right now both YouTube and I are separately promoting it on the platform.” He also hinted that he’s getting better than the traditional 50-50 split between filmmakers and theatres on YouTube after its digital release, apart from stating that the platform is also chipping in for the film’s marketing budget now.
About Sitaare Zameen Par and Its Release Timeline
RS Prasanna’s Sitaare Zameen Par is a spiritual sequel to the 2007 blockbuster film Taare Zameen Par. The movie features Aamir and Genelia D’Souza in main roles, besides debutant roles for differently abled actors. The movie grossed ₹267 crore globally during its theatrical run. It was released on YouTube on 1 August after having been theatrically released on 20 June. Aamir irked a few when he lashed out at the OTT release of the movie prior to 6 months from its theatrical release, but released it online on YouTube in 6 weeks.
