What Sitaare Zameen Par's pay-per-view release on YouTube means for the industry

India Today

4 days ago

Aamir Khan is on a spree of taking bold steps for his film 'Sitaare Zameen Par'. After initially announcing an exclusive theatrical release, the superstar has now taken a sharp turn and decided to venture into YouTube. Starting today, August 1, the film is available via pay-per-view for an affordable price of Rs 100.For years, the conversation has revolved around SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) and AVOD (Advertising-based Video on Demand). Now, thanks to Aamir Khan, TVOD (Transactional Video on Demand) is back on the table. While not a new concept - viewers once rented VHS and later DVDs, digital rentals haven't yet gained mass traction in India. Platforms like Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and YouTube have offered TVOD, but none have created a cultural moment around it. Now, Aamir's move may do exactly that.advertisementYouTube's massive reach in India
India currently has the highest number of monthly YouTube users in the world. With around 491 million active users as of February 2025, nearly 80 percent of Indian internet users over the age of 18 use the platform regularly. A study cited by India CSR revealed that between January 2022 and March 2023, Indians spent a massive 6.1 trillion minutes on online video platforms, with YouTube accounting for around 88 percent of that time. According to an article on GrabOn, on average, users in India spend close to 30 hours a month watching YouTube, which works out to about an hour every day.This established attention points to an audience habituated to mobile-first, ad-free or affordable paid content, exactly what Aamir aims to tap with TVOD on YouTube.But the trust is brokenWhile the decision surprised many, it also left the industry questioning his earlier stance. Aamir had publicly committed to a cinema-only release, a move appreciated by exhibitors and theatre owners. The Multiplex Association of India had even issued a statement lauding his loyalty to theatres.At his press conference, the actor admitted to misleading the industry. '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 my film's theatrical business. Otherwise, my dreams for this film would've ended there.'The apology has divided opinions as film distributor and theatre owner Raj Bansal told India Today that the trade and audience will never believe what Khan says in the future. 'This could impact his future films. If someone like Aamir Khan can lie, how will we trust others? He kept saying he won't be on OTT and now he's taken a U-turn in just six weeks. Personally, I am really disappointed; he could have waited longer. Maybe now that the film is not getting audiences, he hurried up with the digital release.'Why did Aamir choose TVOD?advertisementFor Aamir Khan, this isn't about shock value; it's a recalibration. He wants to preserve theatrical sanctity while building a direct revenue stream that doesn't depend on OTT platforms. At the press conference, when India Today questioned him about the move, especially in light of reports that global platforms had offered him Rs 150 crore for streaming rights, he explained:'There is a great difference between the pay-per-view model and the subscription model. When I release a film after eight weeks on a subscription model, people aren't buying my film. They are only subscribing to the OTT platform, and my film is one of the many offerings. And so, I don't want Rs 125 crore from a platform, a big company, I want Rs 100 from my audience. I have maintained that SVOD is only causing harm to the industry in the long run. I don't know about the revenue from the pay-per-view (PPV) model, but I feel this is the way ahead,' he shared.More control = More dataAn industry insider stated that this could well be a move to break the monopoly of global streaming giants. It also gives the actor-producer something OTT platforms don't: control and transparency.advertisementWith YouTube, he controls pricing, timing, and access to real-time data, a major edge for the producer-star. The profit-sharing model is also reportedly more favourable: a 45:55 split between YouTube and the creator. An executive from YouTube also shared with us how the platform is agnostic for its creators, and given that it's only a platform and not a content producer, they are more viable for filmmakers.While TVOD hasn't scaled globally in recent years, especially after studios like Disney and HBO launched their own SVOD platforms, there's potential. 'We have a problem of plenty. The biggest challenge will be to have content that is appealing enough,' they said, adding that India's 140-crore population includes a massive segment that doesn't visit cinemas.Here's where it gets more interesting. YouTube isn't just widely accessed, it's habitual. Whether it's music, trailers, comedy sketches, or even full-length shows (mostly Pakistani dramas), users across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are already tuned in. The app is mobile-friendly, low-data, and doesn't require subscriptions or complicated navigation. For a middle-income family with limited tech access, spending Rs 100 for one film, especially one carrying Aamir Khan's name, may seem reasonable. For international fans, this could solve the long-standing issue of not having timely access to Indian theatrical releases.advertisementA curated disruptionThe superstar also announced plans to turn his YouTube channel into a space for emerging storytellers, albeit with curated content under the Aamir Khan Talkies banner. Could this evolve into a new kind of digital platform?Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi believes it's too early to say. He noted that while Aamir has the right to decide his release strategy, the shift from his earlier narrative is hard to ignore. In a conversation with India Today, he said, 'As a cinema purist, I still feel he could have waited a little longer. Audiences are back in cinemas, and we need to trust them. Even Hollywood films with superstars consider a six-seven-month frame before dropping them on TVOD. Aamir has been championing the need for a longer window, and we hope he continues to do that.'Calling the move an 'experiment', Rathi pointed out that while YouTube is widely used, it's not always the go-to for premium film content. He added, 'It's probably the first time something like this is happening. We don't know what this gap will do to the business. Also, whether these films will later arrive on SVOD remains to be seen.'advertisementRathi also touched upon Aamir's much-debated move: 'He has been in the business for 30 years, and he definitely would have his eyes on how to survive the next 30. He is doing what he believes in, and we hope it all pans out well for him.'The final wordThe question now is, can this model scale? Raj Bansal isn't convinced, at least not yet. 'If you can get a variety of content for Rs 1000-1500 for a year, I don't know if people would look at buying just one film at Rs 100. But maybe Aamir is looking at something we aren't yet.'Ultimately, this may remain a one-man revolution as Aamir Khan is a brand unto himself. His ability to drive audiences to an unconventional platform may not be replicable across the board.For this to become a movement, others will have to test it, and it'll have to work for more than just the top one percent of actors or production houses. Whether this becomes a trend or just an Aamir-specific experiment remains to be seen.- EndsTrending Reel
IN THIS STORY#Aamir Khan