In a press conference held in Mumbai on Tuesday, Aamir Khan announced that his latest film Sitaare Zameen Par will land on YouTube on August 1 and viewers can watch the film at Rs 100 per view. The actor said that the film will be available to watch on his YouTube channel, Aamir Khan Talkies and will not be released on any other digital platform. He also said that going forward, all films produced under Aamir Khan Productions will land on this channel after a theatrical run.
Commenting on the launch, Aamir said, "For the past 15 years I have been struggling with the challenge of how to reach audiences who do not have geographical access to theatres, or those who are unable to make it to theatres for various reasons. Finally, the time for the perfect storm has come.
He added, "With our government bringing in UPI and India becoming number 1 in the world in electronic payments, with internet penetration in India having grown dramatically and growing everyday, and with YouTube present on most devices, we can finally reach vast sections of people in India, and a significant part of the world. If this idea works, creative voices can tell different stories breaking geographical and other barriers."
Gunjan Soni, Country Managing Director, YouTube India, highlighted the strategic significance of this partnership. "The digital launch of Sitaare Zameen Par exclusively on YouTube underscores a significant step towards democratizing Indian film distribution at a global scale. YouTube is already a key digital destination for premium content, and we’re excited to offer filmmakers and content owners not only our unparalleled digital reach but also the control and flexibility to meet their audiences where they are. Today's launch is far more than a release - YouTube is laying out the red carpet for Indian cinema to stride onto the global stage.”
Earlier, during the promotions of Sitaare Zameen Par, journalists had asked Aamir if he would be going for a pay-per-view model on YouTube post the film's theatrical release. At the time, Aamir had denied any such reports. "I am sorry, I lied," the actor said with a smile. "I had to protect the film's theatrical business hence I couldn't comment on the matter at the time."
Directed by RS Prasanna and written by Divy Nidhi Sharma, Sitaare Zameen Par stars Aamir Khan in the lead along with Genelia Deshmukh and introduces ten new faces.
