Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has backed actor-producer Aamir Khan’s decision to make Sitaare Zameen Par available exclusively on YouTube as a pay-per-view title, hailing the move as a ‘smart and forward-looking distribution reform’.
“Aamir Khan releasing Sitaare Zameen Par on YouTube as a pay‑per‑view title after its theatrical run is not a threat to anyone. Theatrical windows are treated like rigid commandments, while OTT has become the only post‑theatrical refuge. So many thoughtful films vanish or languish. If this model works, it will embolden more producers to back films that don’t follow the herd mentality currently dominating the sector,” wrote Mehta on X Thursday.
The 57-year-old director noted that the decision will give control back to the creators, letting them decide when and how their films reach the audience.
“Reasonable pricing, easy payments, and YouTube’s universal reach can take cinema beyond multiplexes and curated SVOD shelves,” added Mehta.
Mehta noted how the experiment can facilitate revenue generation and help creators understand market trends. He said that the move was not meant to replace theatres or streaming platforms, but to expand the distribution system.
“More cashflows after theatrical means producers can fund documentaries, first‑features, regional stories, and formally daring work—not just safe bets. Direct PPV performance gives makers clearer signals about price sensitivity, genres, and regions,” wrote the The Buckingham Murders director.
“This isn’t a war against theatres or streamers. It’s distribution reform. Theatrical windows should flex, not break; OTT should be an avenue, not the dependency. With reasonable pricing, ease of payment, and a clean UI, true democratisation stops being a pipe‑dream and becomes policy by practice,” concluded Mehta, urging people to celebrate the experiment as it ensures greater liberty for both the creators and the audience.
Billed as a spiritual successor to Aamir’s 2007 hit Taare Zameen Par, Sitaare Zameen Par is directed by R.S. Prasanna. The film follows the story of Gulshan (played by Aamir), a temperamental basketball coach sentenced to community service after a brush with the cops. He finds himself reluctantly coaching a team of neurodivergent individuals, only to be transformed by their resilience.
Genelia Deshmukh plays Sunita, Gulshan’s wife, in the film. It also stars Dolly Ahluwalia, Gurpal Singh, Brijendra Kala, and Ankita Sehgal. Sitaare Zameen Par marks the acting debut for Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishnan Varma, Vedant Sharmaa and Naman Mishra.
Released theatrically on June 20, the film earned Rs 267 crore nett worldwide.
Sitaare Zameen Par is backed by Aamir’s home banner, Aamir Khan Productions.
