Aamir Khan explains why he chose pay-per-view release for Sitaare Zameen Par, and why he spent Rs 122 crore

Aamir Khan is explaining his decision on why he opted for a pay-per-view window for his movie Sitaare Zameen Par, saying that he still wants his movie to be available on OTT platforms. Apart from playing the lead role in the film, Khan was also one of the producers of the movie. Due to his decision to release the movie on YouTube, the actor had to pay a total amount of Rs 122 crore. Previously, Khan had declared that the comedy-drama would be exclusively released only in theatres, with no OTT release immediately. The decision came as a shock to many for several reasons, especially considering the current industry norms where movies are usually available on streaming platforms around 8 weeks after their release. But now Khan is explaining his decision on why he chose the pay-per-view option, and how much he had to pay for the gamble he played.

When OTT has become the go-to option for a major part of the population, the actor decided to turn down huge offers from streaming platforms, as he chose to give the movie its time in theatres.

Why did Aamir Khan had to pay his Sitaare Zameen Par partners?

Aamir Khan rejected a huge amount offered by a streaming platform, and chose a pay-per-view option for his movie. Due to his decision, the actor revealed that he had to first buy out his partners, which cost him a huge amount. The budget of SZP was Rs 96 crore, but his idea to make it available on YouTube, cost him around Rs 122 crore.

In a chat with Matthew Belloni on his podcast, Khan said,“I had to pay a price also because I had a partner with me earlier, and they weren’t very keen on this rash idea of mine. They didn’t like me turning down money, so they preferred that I buy them out, and so therefore the film has actually cost me about $14 million (Rs 122 crore); let’s say between $14 and $15 million (Rs 122 cr to Rs 133 cr) is what the cost of the film for me is."

Apart from the initial budget, the actor had to put his money into the Pay-per-view option. However, the actor refused to share any data about how much profit the movie is making on YouTube, but said, “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.''

He continued, “We have a marketing budget for this. YouTube is putting its strength behind this, and YouTube is putting its marketing budget for this. There is a separate budget for the theatrical release and a separate budget for the YouTube release. All the people I’ve met are really excited about this, they’re just waiting to see the results.”

During the chat, Khan also mentioned that he does want his movie to release on OTT platforms now. His idea of releasing the movie on YouTube was to make it accessible to a global audience. His only issue was with the short theatrical window, and he wants to create a pay-per-view window between the theatrical and OTT releases.

“The bulk of India does not subscribe to OTT platforms, but there is a section that does, and I’m one of them. My only issue is that the window is too short, and it doesn’t allow for a pay-per-view window. We need a pay-per-view window between theatrical and OTT, and that’s what I’m pushing to create. We released in theatres in June, and after 45 days, we released on YouTube, and then I haven’t made an OTT sale. When I spoke to OTT channels, I said I would like to come after six months. But none of them were comfortable with that period. They wanted two months, and they weren’t ready to go ahead with the deal,” he said.