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Despite not being a big-ticket, action-oriented star vehicle typical of this era, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par is generating massive hype. Helmed by RS Prasanna, known for the Tamil romantic comedy Kalyana Samayal Saadham (2013) and its Hindi remake Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), the sports comedy-drama is billed as a spiritual successor to Aamir’s directorial debut Taare Zameen Par (2007). Interestingly, social media is abuzz with expectations that the film will offer a breath of fresh air amidst the current flood of mindless actioners.
With the movie’s release just around the corner, Aamir Khan, who also serves as the film’s co-producer, has made some bold decisions regarding its theatrical and OTT premieres, including its first-day-first-show (FDFS) timing. In a significant and gutsy move, the actor-producer has reportedly turned down a massive offer from a major OTT platform, choosing instead to give the movie a full theatrical run without rushing a digital premiere.
According to trade analyst Komal Nahta, Amazon Prime Video offered Rs 120 crore for the digital rights to the film, but Aamir declined the deal. While many might assume this was a tactic to attract higher offers from other platforms, Nahta clarified in Film Information that Aamir made the decision “to try and change the game”. In recent times, Aamir has frequently voiced concerns about the standard eight-week window between theatrical and digital releases, calling it a “faulty business model”.
With this, the Bollywood biggie has once again proven that he isn’t one of those “all talk and no action” stars and that he has decided to lead by example and be the change he wishes to witness around him. Nahta pointed out that if Aamir’s strategy works and the film’s absence of an OTT release drives up box office revenue, it could be a revelation for the industry. On the flip side, if the strategy backfires, Sitaare Zameen Par could end up losing Rs 120 crore in easy revenue.
Meanwhile, ahead of the film’s release on June 20 (Friday), Aamir has also issued a series of instructions to exhibitors regarding show timings. According to Bollywood Hungama, the makers have requested not to begin shows before 9 am. They’ve also asked theatres to maintain popular weekend pricing, rather than inflating ticket rates as per the blockbuster pricing technique.
While single-screen theatres wishing to screen Sitaare Zameen Par have been instructed to dedicate all shows exclusively to the film, without alternating titles, cinema halls with two screens have been asked to allot a total of eight shows per day for the sports comedy drama. “Multiplexes with 3, 4, 5 and 6 screens need to play 11, 14, 16 and 19 shows a day, respectively. For 7-screen multiplexes, 22 shows are a must while for 8-screen plexes, 25 shows are mandatory in a day. There should be 28 shows in 9-screen cinemas and for multiplexes with 10 screens and more, the requirement is 31 shows,” Bollywood Hungama quoted a source as saying.
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