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Time of India

Cinema First: Aamir Khan's bold OTT rejection

Aamir Khan 's latest film, ' Sitaare Zameen Par ', is set to hit cinemas on 20 June, but unlike most big-budget releases, it won't appear on OTT platforms eight weeks later. In a bold and unconventional move, Aamir Khan has firmly turned down lucrative OTT offers, including, according to industry insiders, an initial proposal of around Rs 150 crore, with further room for negotiation. His stand comes at a critical juncture as India's Rs 18,700 crore film entertainment business is still heavily reliant on theatrical revenues, which dipped from Rs 12,000 crore in 2023 to Rs 11,400 crore in 2024. India currently has fewer than 10,000 cinema screens nationwide, and footfalls continue to decline, falling nearly 5 per cent to about 85.7 crore admissions last year. What Aamir Khan fears is that people won't visit the cinema halls if films are made available at home via OTT, barely eight weeks after their release on the big screen. Instead, Khan is batting for a six-month gap between theatrical release and the film's streaming on OTT. "You need that much time to separate the theatrical audience from the home viewers," actor and producer Aamir Khan asserts. Renowned for his unconventional decisions, whether its playing a middle-aged wrestler in 'Dangal', or a college student in '3 Idiots' while he was in his 40s, Khan's latest stance is characteristically daring. "In the short term, we might lose big money," he admits candidly, yet insists that shorter theatrical windows are traps that could "destroy cinema's long-term viability". Will this decision reshape Bollywood's future, or has Khan staked too much on his creative instincts? In this edition of Economic Times Brand Equity's Digital Cover , he opens up about the risks involved, the resistance within his team, and why he believes this could set a new course for Indian cinema. Edited Excerpts: What drove you to make this decision of saying no to OTT for your movie 'Sitaare Zameen Par'? Well, that is because I don't understand this business model. You are asking someone to buy my movie ticket, and at the same time, I'm telling you that if you don't buy it, it's going to come into your house free in eight weeks. So, this business model doesn't make sense to me. That's it. It's my common sense that tells me I can't do that. Is this a decision that you have taken as an actor and producer or is this a call taken by the chief of Aamir Khan Productions for all your upcoming projects? Well, right now, this is a stand I have taken as a producer and as an actor. I have no other film that I am currently working on. This is the only film I have. So, for all practical purposes, it's a decision for now and only for this film, but going ahead, we will discover. I also don't know, because what I'm trying is something that people haven't tried, and I don't know whether I'll succeed in what I'm doing. So, if I do succeed, then that becomes a model, not just for me, but for others as well. And if I don't succeed, then I guess we all have to go back to the drawing board. If the current eight-week window is something that's not right, according to you, what's an adequate window? Six months. And would you want a television before that, or after that... After that! So, Cinema, then OTT, and then Television. Why six months? Any specific reason that makes you believe six months is an adequate window? I believe that's an adequate period to segregate the home-viewing audience from the theatrical audience. A film, at times, needs some time to garner the attention of the audience. Word of mouth drives people to the theatres. You hear wonderful things about the film from people in your circle and then you decide to experience it. Sometimes, you are busy on the weekend when the cinema releases and then traveling the week after. Three weeks after the release you feel like going to the cinema but then you realise that it's going to be available in OTT in the next couple of weeks and so, you decide against visiting the cinema. This is how the cinema or theatrical business is getting cannibalised. If you have not watched it in six months, there is very little or no chance of you watching it in the theatres at all, and so, after six months when it is available on OTT, it is not eating into each other's business. How did the industry react to this decision? A lot of my colleagues and I have discussed this over the last couple of years. All of us understand that the present manner of doing business with this window is a downward spiral for the industry. You are reducing the theatrical audience with every new release. I have to say this, as an industry we have seldom managed to think long-term. We fall into traps that look great in the short term. How tough was it to convince your CEO (Aparna Purohit)? When she joined Aamir Khan Productions from Amazon Prime Video, many thought it was your move to make the most out of the OTT opportunity… I didn't bring her as the CEO of Aamir Khan Productions to make the most of the OTT opportunity. I brought her because she is someone I truly respect for the creative work she has done in her career. Her creative choices have impressed me; she is an amazing leader, and her work ethic inspires people. The fact that she comes from OTT will help me make more money out of Digital rights, never crossed my mind while bringing her onboard. Now, coming to your question about convincing her and the team, well, let me put it this way, at one stage, I was the only one in my team who was convinced. My team consists of not just Aparna but also my stepmother, (smiles) Bimal Parekh ( the top CA who manages the finances of many celebrities, including Aamir Khan ). When we say no to OTT, we were saying no to a huge amount of money and not many in the core team were in favour of this decision. They simply said, 'It is a big risk that you are taking by saying no to big money and you shouldn't do it.' Then I explained why I am saying what I am saying. I tried to explain to them that in the short term, they are right, but in the long run, both from the industry and the viewers' point of view, this short-window release to OTT will just destroy us. While initially they were completely against my decision, eventually, all three of us were on the same page. But is that enough to bring people back to the theatres? What's needed to grow the overall theatrical audience and the business? I really feel India needs more theatres. There are so many districts in India where we do not have a single screen yet. We can start with that, and the number of screens in India will grow significantly. I also feel we need more economical theatres, so that we can cater to a wider group of people. Make it more accessible and affordable, and that would grow the theatre business of the country. Not all can afford the fancy theatres, while those continue to cater to a different set of audiences, we can grow footfall by rolling out economical solutions. Now coming to your next movie, that's not going to be on OTT (at least for now) 'Sitare Zameen Par', it is a remake. How challenging was it for you to take this project, especially after the remake of 'Forrest Gump' - 'Laal Singh Chaddha' tanked? It was a challenge for sure. Many told me that I would get trolled again for doing a remake. Why can't Aamir Khan do something original. There was a lot of resistance, and for all practical purposes. But once I am madly in love with the material, the creative side of me takes over the practical side. Throughout my life, this has happened to me. When I was doing this long film Lagaan, on cricket, many said it was the biggest mistake of my life. Being a 44-year-old, I played a student in 'Three Idiots' and again people thought it was a bad idea. Then I played a fat man - Mahavir Singh Phogat, who is a father. People kept telling me that I will get typecast and have to spend the rest of my career playing fathers, and yet I did it. I kept telling Nitesh Sir (Nitesh Tiwari, director of Dangal) that people saw me as a thirty-something in 'Dhoom 3' and now they will see me as this 55-year-old, I don't want them to know my real age…. So, the practical advice from the team and well-wishers often gets overpowered by my creative instincts. Once I am in love with the material, it becomes a part of my blood and then I have to do it. Also, all my life I have done remakes, 'Ghajini' was a remake, 'Qyamat se Qayamat Tak' was a remake... What happens when actor Aamir Khan speaks with the producer or entrepreneur in Aamir Khan? Who gives up when? Is there a conflict? (Breaks into laughter) My practical side always loses to my creative side. Whether I am an actor, or a producer. What needs to be done for the film is what I end up doing even if it is impractical. For example, if I feel something is needed for the film and I know that if I do that, the film will go over budget, I will still do it. Even if it means going out of the schedule or anything else, I back my creative instincts. Based on my last 35 years, I have to confess, my creative side wins over my practical side. Do you have any regrets that you didn't listen to the practical side and went ahead with the creative instinct instead? Not at all. No regrets. I have to say one very important thing here and this is something I have believed from the very beginning of my career. This field, or this world, or Cinema is the universe where you have to be praying to Saraswati (the Goddess of knowledge, creativity) and not to Lakshmi (the Goddess of wealth). It is like what Rancho (Character of 3 Idiots) says, strive for excellence and success will follow. I believe if we stay true to creative craft and continue to be following Saraswati, Lakshmi will follow. Apart from being an actor and producer, you also continue to remain a top brand ambassador. What is the process of Aamir Khan saying yes to a brand association? So, there are two things that I take very seriously when I am doing a brand endorsement. One – what is it that the brands want me to say - I have to be sure how accurate the promise is. I need to be sure that I am happy with the product before I endorse it. That is my first rule: if I am not happy with the product, I will not endorse it. Second, is the script of the ad. If I find the script entertaining, where I am playing a character that will entertain my viewers, I do it. I liked the recent Dream 11 ad, where it was fun and creative, and so I did it. These are a couple of things, I must not be misleading people and I should be doing something that is creative and fun. What is the legacy that you want Aamir Khan Productions to leave? I never really thought about leaving a legacy. I just did the work that I strongly believed in. In fact, I was very sure that I would never be a producer, I would direct movies. I saw my father and was convinced that I would never produce films. Aamir Khan Productions was born out of a necessity. I didn't know who would produce 'Lagaan', the way it ought to be produced, with the resources it needs, and that is why it took me a year- and-a-half to say yes to Ashutosh Gowariker despite loving the script. And if you see, after Lagaan, the next movie we produced was six-or-seven years following the release of Lagaan. It was like putting my money where my mouth is. As an actor, I am like a handloom worker; I cannot do anything else when I am doing a movie. But as a production house, that need not be the case. If all goes well, I have another 10 - 15 years of active life ahead of me, and I want Aamir Khan Productions to become this platform that provides opportunities to talent from across. The talent who shares the creative ethos of Aamir Khan Films, who can convince with their creative instinct. This is where Aparna (Aparna Purohit, CEO, Aamir Khan Productions) will play the larger role, whereas I continue to act in movies.