Aamir Khan Comes Clean, Apologises For Lying About Sitaare Zameen Par's YouTube Release
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan recently announced that his latest Hindi film 'Sitaare Zameen Par' will soon be available on YouTube.
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan recently announced that his latest film ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ will premiere on YouTube on August 1, skipping OTT platforms. Viewers in India can access the film for just Rs 100 under a pay-per-view model. Interestingly, Aamir had earlier denied plans for a YouTube release. However, during a recent media interaction in Mumbai, the star admitted he had intentionally withheld the information during the film’s promotional run. He also issued an apology to fans, explaining his reasons for keeping the move under wraps until now.
He also defended his stance on pay-per-view vs subscription models. At the event, one journalist point blank asked Aamir about whether he knew 'Sitaare Zameen Par' would release on YouTube after its theatrical run and if he lied to his fans.
Answering the question, Aamir said, "I fold my hands and apologise because I lied when I said Sitaare Zameen Par wouldn’t be released on YouTube. I did it because I had no other choice."
"I had to protect the film’s theatrical business. I am very loyal to theatres, my life began with cinema. So, I have always strived to protect the theatrical business of my films. Still, I apologise because I had to lie. Otherwise, my dreams for this film would’ve ended there," he added.
Aamir Khan then also spoke about how he believes that film releasing on OTT platforms eight weeks after their theatrical run isn't great for the movie industry. However, it must be mentioned that Aamir's 'Sitaare Zameen Par' is premiering on Youtube in less than eight weeks.
"There is a great difference between the pay-per-view model and the subscription model. When I release a film after 8 weeks on a subscription model, people aren’t buying my film. They’re only subscribing to the OTT platform," said Aamir.
"It wouldn’t matter if someone wants to watch it or doesn’t by then. I don’t want Rs 125 crore from a big company, I want Rs 100 from my audience. I believe the subscription model is only causing us harm," he added.
‘Sitaare Zameen Par’, considered a spiritual successor to Aamir’s 2007 hit ‘Taare Zameen Par’, tells the story of a basketball coach guiding a team of specially challenged players and introduces ten new faces.
The film is written by Divy Nidhi Sharma and produced under Aamir Khan Productions. It earned Rs 267 crore globally according to Sacnilk and received mixed reviews from critics.
Aamir is currently producing ‘Lahore 1947’ starring Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta, and ‘Ek Din’, featuring his son Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi.
