Aamir Khan maintains ‘NO OTT’ for Sitaare Zameen Par, rejects ₹120 crore Prime Video offer

Bollywood's Mr Perfectionist, Aamir Khan, is reportedly sticking to his “no OTT” policy for Sitaare Zameen Par. According to media reports, Aamir recently rejected Amazon Prime Video's offer of a whopping ₹120 crore for his June 20 release.

Trade analyst Komal Nahta said the actor is taking a stand against the current trend of early digital releases, in the hope of restoring the theatre-going culture in India.

Citing sources, a News18 report said that Aamir wants to hold back the OTT premiere by at least eight weeks to encourage audiences to return to cinemas. “The idea is to make people choose the big screen experience again by not giving them the home-viewing option so soon.”

Notably, this isn’t the first digital offer Aamir Khan has turned down for Sitaare Zameen Par. Initial reports suggest that Netflix also showed interest in acquiring the rights for the movie, but the actor-producer rejected it, sticking to his belief in a delayed digital model.

A different plan

Media reports suggest that Aamir Khan has a very different plan for Sitaare Zameen Par. Instead of handing over the streaming rights to any major OTT service, the actor will likely release the movie on YouTube on a pay-per-view basis.

This will allow him to have full control over its release window and pricing, while also helping him to test the waters for an alternative digital strategy.

‘I believe in theatres’: Aamir Khan

Earlier, in an interview with News18, Aamir said that he has decided not to release Sitaare Zameen Par on OTT.

“I believe in theatres. I believe in my audience. If you make a good film, people will come to watch it on the big screen,” he said.

“I don’t know any business where you offer your product, and if someone doesn’t buy it, you tell them—don’t worry, I’ll drop it at your house for free in eight weeks. It doesn’t make sense to me. That’s the reason many films aren’t doing well in theatres,” he added.

Sitaare Zameen Par, expected to be an emotionally rich and motivational movie, will hit the theatres on Friday, June 20.