Before Sitaare Zameen Par (SZP) hit theatres and became a box office success, Aamir Khan had been clear about one thing — he disliked the shorter release windows between a film’s theatrical debut and its digital release. These windows typically span between six to eight weeks, sometimes even less. Reports suggested that Aamir, who both starred in and produced the Hindi remake of Campeones, had turned down lucrative OTT offers because they insisted on a shorter theatrical run. Aamir Khan’s ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ To Stream Online Soon — Here’s When and Where You Can Watch the Blockbuster for Just INR 100 (Read To Know).

Released on June 20, 2025, Sitaare Zameen Par received favourable reviews and performed well commercially, earning INR 164.02 crore in India - an impressive figure for a modestly budgeted sports drama featuring a cast that included specially abled actors. The movie was directed by RS Prasanna, and had Genelia Deshmukh as the female lead.

On July 27, Aamir held a press conference to announce that the film would arrive on YouTube as a pay-per-view title on August 1, 2025. It would be available on his newly launched channel on the platform: Aamir Khan Talkies–Janta Ka Theatre.

Aamir Khan Announcing Digital Release of 'Sitaare Zameen Par'

By that date, SZP would have completed only six weeks in theatres. This is in contrast to the actor's earlier stance, for according to reports, Aamir had pushed for a minimum eight-week window from OTT platforms, and they had refused then.

His supporters may argue that a YouTube pay-per-view is not the same as a subscription-based OTT release - audiences will still need to pay INR 100 per viewing. Yet, it remains a digital release that significantly shortens the theatrical exclusivity window, seemingly contradicting Aamir’s own stance that films should remain exclusive to cinemas for at least six months.

What Aamir Khan Had Said Before About Theatrical Windows

Back in May 2025, at the WAVES Summit, Aamir had criticised short theatrical windows, saying, "Earlier, films would release in theatres and arrive on satellite a year later. Then it became eight months, then six. As an audience member, I could choose to watch in theatres or wait six months for satellite. When you release on OTT too soon, you’re killing your own business. It’s a faulty model."

Ahead of SZP’s theatrical release, he reiterated in an interview with News18 that his film would not arrive on any OTT service within eight weeks, emphasising, "The idea is to make people choose the big screen experience again by not giving them the home-viewing option so soon." ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ Movie Review: Aamir Khan’s Earnest but Safe ‘Campeones’ Remake Is Uplifted by Its ‘Special’ Cast.

Even during Laal Singh Chaddha's pre-release promotions, Aamir Khan had spoken about these shorter theatrical windows and how it harms cinema in the long run. Like this interview clip below

So, what changed? Did the phenomenal success of Saiyaara overshadow SZP to the point where its theatrical run had almost run its course?

The Challenges to SZP's Pay-Per-View Model on YouTube

While YouTube’s pay-per-view model is indeed different from a free-to-stream OTT release, it mirrors transactional video-on-demand strategies used by Prime Video’s ‘Buy or Rent’ section or Apple TV. And, as with those platforms, it opens the door for the film to leak in HD format on piracy sites - a risk that could further impact the earnings.

While there are many movies available on YouTube on a per-view basis, it remains to be seen if Indian audiences would want to use that access and watch a Hindi film with a monetary charge involved. If Aamir Khan manages to make it work, it would be a true genius move.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 29, 2025 06:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).