Ever since Indian star Aamir Khan began talking about his latest Hindi release, Sitaare Zameen Par, there has been a lot of buzz around the sale of digital rights for films. With the film now releasing ‘exclusively in theatres’, many theatre-owners have lauded the producers. At a time when digital platforms are regularly giving a six to eight weeks’ window before the digital release, does such a move mean much for the box office? Let us explore with some industry experts.

Directed by RS Prasanna, Sitaare Zameen Par is a Hindi film loosely inspired by the 2018 Spanish film Champions. The Spanish film was based on the real-life story of story American basketball coach Ron Jones. The story of Sitaare Zameen Par revolves around a suspended basketball coach (Khan) who needs to complete community service and coach a team of players with disabilities as they prepare for a tournament.

Genelia D’Souza plays Khan’s onscreen wife in the film which also stars Brijendra Kala and Dolly Ahulwalia. Ram Sampath has composed music for the film which has lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Sitaare Zameen Par is said to be a spiritual sequel to Khan’s 2007 surprise hit Taare Zameen Par.

Aamir Khan Productions reportedly rejected offers from Netflix and Prime Video. The reports claimed that Khan wanted an eight-week window before the digital release while the OTT platforms wanted a shorter window. After it became clear that the film has not been sold to any OTT platform yet and Khan plans to give it an ‘exclusive theatrical release’, the Multiplex Association of India issued a note ‘applauding’ Aamir Khan’s decision on the same.

For an audience willing to wait for a few weeks instead of stepping out for the cinemas, will it matter if they need to wait for six weeks or eight or ten? Unless the gap is as big as a year or so, it may not affect these decisions. Such moves are not very likely to affect the box office or the overall business of theatre. Aamir Khan Productions’ move to go for an ‘exclusive theatrical release’ without even selling the digital rights, nonetheless, means a giant leap of faith for the film exhibition industry. After nearly five years (since the pandemic outbreak in 2020), a major producer has shown such faith in cinemas and the power of their film.

Film trade analyst and producer Girish Johar believes a good theatrical window is essential for the industry to function progressively. “Sitaare Zameen Par being exclusively marketed as a theatrical release, I believe the message should go down to the viewers - the option of watching the film within 6-8 weeks on OTT is not there. It remains to be seen whether the audiences will wait or come to the theatres. Right now, going to a theatre is not only an expensive proposition but also time consuming. Only compelling films compensate for the time.”

CEO of Cinepolis India Devang Sampat believes Khan’s films have always been about theatrical experience. "His decision to back cinemas with Sitaare Zameen Par is a significant moment for all of us. It’s not just a film release; it’s a message of unwavering belief in theatres. We’re incredibly grateful to Aamir Khan Productions for boldly standing by cinemas. Sitaare Zameen Par is exactly the kind of film that brings people to theatres, thoughtful, moving, and made for a collective experience."

Multiplex Association of India President Kamal Gianchandani hopes for a strong opening collection of Sitaare Zameen Par. “The exclusive theatrical release, with no OTT release, allows the film to enjoy an undiluted box office run. We anticipate a significant uplift in footfalls.”

The producers of Sitaare Zameen Par reportedly asked theatres to avoid screening the film before 9am on Friday. Single-screen theatres were also asked to screen the film exclusively through the day. Gianchandani insists the decision was mutual (between the producer and theatre-owners) and the strategy will help in building a stronger occupancy and excitement for the opening.

Johar believes the film-specific guidelines such as no morning shows may work in favor of the film as the target audience of Sitaare Zameen Par is not the usual school or college going youth. “The target audience is very urban, metro, you know, skewed towards 35-plus age group, families. I think they’ve taken a planned decision of not to have early screenings. The experience dilutes if you watch a film in an empty theatre. It is definitely a good strategy to have a curtailed screenings of the film so that the audience gets to enjoy community watching with a good occupancy theatre and react with the group.”

He adds that limited release screening will also work in favor of Sitaare Zameen Par because film watching is a community experience. However, he fears that if the film becomes a victim of piracy, it may cut short the box office as the target audience of Sitaare Zameen Par is mainly urban.

“Aamir Khan’s decision to release Sitaare Zameen Par exclusively in cinemas is a strong and much-needed endorsement of the theatrical format. For theatre owners, this signals not just increased footfalls but also a boost across the entire value chain — from box office revenue to food and beverage sales, in-cinema advertising, and on-ground brand activations. It’s a positive signal to the entire ecosystem — that theatrical exhibition continues to be commercially viable and culturally relevant in today’s entertainment landscape," Gianchandani adds.

Reports suggest that Aamir Khan plans to release Sitaare Zameen Par after its theatrical run on YouTube - not on any OTT platform - and he plans to do it on a pay-per-view model. It is a model that does not dole out handsome sums outright but accumulates a big figure if the content appeals to the audience.

Johar has high hopes: “I fully am looking forward to this model. To me, it is like a ticket purchase for a personal viewing on your personal screens. Aamir exploring the model for Sitaare Zameen Par may pave the way for its evolution down the line. It may also lead to other producers taking the risk.”

Trade experts believe the Aamir Khan film is likely to take an average opening in India with a figure that is expected to stay around $1 million- $2 million worldwide. Expressing hopes for a good film, Johar says the kind of target audience of the film (urban and metro regions in India, 35-plus people) will limit the opening of the film around $1 million. He adds that Akshay Kumar’s Housefull 5 “is no competition for a film like Sitaare Zameen Par.”