After nine months, Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par, directed by RS Prasanna is all set for release on OTT. Following its theatrical release last June, Aamir opted for a pay-per-view model on YouTube as he did not want to release them on streaming platforms. He later changed his stance, noting that he believes there is an audience for it on them.
However, in a recent interview with PTI, the actor said that an OTT release for Sitaare Zameen Par was always part of his plan but he did not want it to be immediately after the film's theatrical run. "I was never in two minds. I always wanted an OTT release but not so quickly after the theatre release. So it is now coming on SonyLIV on April 3 and I want audiences all across the country to enjoy the film," he said.
The film tells the story of a cynical and ill-mannered basketball coach Gulshan (Aamir) who is ordained by court to train a team of specially-abled young players. Billed as a spiritual sequel to the critically acclaimed Taare Zameen Par (2007), SZP also starred Genelia D’Souza in the lead cast, and marked the debut for ten actors, namely Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra, and Simran Mangeshkar. The film was commercially successful at the box office, earning over Rs 250 crore.
At the time of announcing his pay-per-view model, Aamir Khan said that the move was an attempt to make cinema more accessible and to experiment with a new digital distribution model.
"This is my private cinema chain. Think of it like Aamir Khan Productions has opened a new cinema chain, which is in everyone's house and in everyone's pocket... I got good offers from OTT channels. But I don't want those Rs 100-125 crore from OTT channels. I want to earn Rs 100 from my audience. I prefer that more," Aamir had said.
Besides the film, the documentary on the film's parents Sitaaron Ke Sitaare will also be available on the streamer. It follows the extraordinary journeys of parents raising children on the neurodivergent spectrum. The film traces the parents lives from the earliest days, marriage, pregnancy, childbirth and the first signs that their child was different.