Aamir Khan`s SZP shifts to YouTube in just 6 weeks of theatrical release

In June, Aamir Khan had announced that Sitaare Zameen Par would be a theatrical-only offering, categorically denying taking it to YouTube after its big-screen run (Amitji backed me to take the film only to theatres, June 7). But after the dramedy has collected Rs 167 crore in its six weeks of release, the superstar appears to have done a volte-face. On July 29, he announced that beginning August 1, the RS Prasanna-directed venture would be available on YouTube for Rs 100 per view.  
    
The decision hasn’t gone down well with exhibitors, especially since the film is running in many theatres and a YouTube release would bring a premature end to its business. Rajasthan-based exhibitor Raj Bansal tells mid-day, “The Multiplex Association of India honoured Aamir for his [theatres-only] stand. Now, we are disappointed with this decision. By bringing the film on YouTube less than eight weeks after release, he is going back on what he had promised. The film’s theatrical run hasn’t ended yet. It’s running in my theatre in Jaipur. Aamir’s credibility has been put at stake. No one will trust him next time,” he says. 

A still from ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’

In bringing Sitaare Zameen Par to his own YouTube channel, Khan is showing that there can be an alternative to the streaming giants. Whether the film industry adopts this new model will depend on the superstar’s success with his plan. But exhibitor Akkshay Rathie, while appreciating the business move, believes the actor has made one misstep. “Strategically, it is the right decision. With digital penetration at its peak, now is a good time to experiment with transactional video-on-demand. But [he should have] kept a bigger window — an eight-week gap — between the theatrical and YouTube release,” assesses Rathie.

Bansal believes the model will only work among the urban demographic, which has disposable income. He decodes, “One viewing is for R100. If I [subscribe] to Netflix [at a competitive price], I will have a month to watch a wider variety of programmes.” He believes Khan’s decision was also motivated by the movie’s box-office performance. “Maybe, the film didn’t perform according to his hopes. So, he thought of taking this route.”

Rs 100
Cost of per view on YouTube

Rs 167CR
Estimated domestic collection of ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’