With his latest release Sitaare Zameen Par, actor and producer Aamir Khan has chosen to empower theatres in the age of OTT. Ahead of the film’s release in June, Khan explicitly stated that Sitaare Zameen Par would not be available on any OTT platform after its theatrical run, in the hope of encouraging audiences to return to cinemas. In recent years, with the rise of streaming platforms, films released in theatres are typically made available online within 4–8 weeks.

However, six weeks after its theatrical release, Aamir Khan’s film became digitally accessible but with a twist. Instead of going to a conventional OTT platform, the film was released on YouTube via a pay-per-view model. Viewers pay Rs 100 to access the film, which remains available for 48 hours from the time they hit play.

Is this model here to stay — and could it be a game-changer?

Many producers in the industry are hailing Khan’s decision and see great potential in it. “It’s a bold step because usually, when you sell a movie to an OTT platform, a fixed price is determined, and the money comes in at once. But with YouTube, it’s like people buying tickets in theatres. It’s a risky model; nonetheless, YouTube is one of the biggest platforms globally. Even if just 2–3 percent of people pay Rs 100, Aamir Khan could earn more than Rs 100 crore. So, it definitely has potential,”
says Nitin Burman, Chief Revenue Officer of Balaji Telefilms, in a conversation with mid-day.