Aamir Khan Won't Let You Watch His Movies On OTT Platforms
Sitaare Zameen Par won't be available to watch on any streaming platform
It's Aamir Khan's world and no body gets to decide how he goes about releasing his movies.
At the time when most actors are making inroads into the world of OTT platforms, and many others opting for direct-on-streaming releases for their films, here's an actor choosing to do the unthinkable. His recently-released home production, Sitaare Zameen Par, after a successful run at the box-office isn't going to be shown on any streaming platform. The actor is releasing on YouTube instead!
When he launched his own YouTube channel, Aamir Khan Talkies, earlier this year, no one thought it'll become a place to house the actor's movies. Like with other channels, this one too was meant to have trailers, clips, songs, interviews, etc., or so one believed. But Mr. Khan had other plans, and those plans have now been set in motion.
You may also like
Now that its theatrical run is over, Sitaare Zameen Par will be available to stream on YouTube starting August 1, 2025. Which is the coming Friday, should you want to know. However, you'll have to pay a 'nominal' cost of ₹100 for it. Umm... isn't that kinda, sorta like every other OTT platform? Technically, it's more like renting a movie on such platforms where you pay a one-time fee to watch the film once. And yes, we know that YouTube is a video streaming platform but what Aamir is trying to do is evade the pressures of OTT platforms who are known to release the film way before their theatrical run is over, thereby discouraging movie-lovers to watch the said movie on the big screen, which is where, in Aamir's words, it is meant to be seen. It's a convoluted debate no matter which side you belong, but the fact is that Sitaare Zameen Par not landing on any streaming platform (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Zee5, etc., etc.) definitely makes it a first, and that's what has got everyone in a twist.
But that's not all!
In the coming weeks and months, Aamir will be releasing all of his productions also on YouTube. Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par, Peepli Live, to name a few. Also releasing on this channel would be some of his late father's productions such as Caravan and Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, the latter starring Aamir in the lead, of course. His mantra certainly seems to be: watch his movies on the big screen and later, watch them on his YouTube channel only!
Does this mean that streaming platforms shall soon be over? Obviously not!
You may also like
It's highly doubtful that other producers will follow suit. Housefull 5, for instance, is releasing on Amazon Prime Video this Friday, so there's a new Hindi movie for you to stream from the comforts of your home. Though you'll be doing the same thing on YouTube with Sitaare Zameen Par as well, so how is that different, again? Honestly, who is to know. This confusion is certainly more, well, confusing than whatever was happening in the murder-mystery plot of Housefull 5!
In the end, just watch what you want to, be it in a movie theatre or on a streaming platform, or even on YouTube, even if it is also a streaming platform. Someone tell Aamir Khan that, will you?