Aamir Khan apologises for lying about Sitaare Zameen Par's YouTube release; defends his stance on pay-per-view vs OTT

Aamir Khan held a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday to announce that Sitaare Zameen Par was skipping an OTT release to stream directly on YouTube.

On Tuesday, Aamir Khan held a press conference in Mumbai to confirm what has long been rumoured: that his recent release, Sitaare Zameen Par, will skip OTT release and be released directly on YouTube. The actor apologised for lying about it for weeks while promoting the film during its theatrical release on 20 June and defended his stance on pay-per-view vs subscription models. (Also Read: Sitaare Zameen Par skips OTT release, Aamir Khan film to stream directly on YouTube for this amount)

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan during the announcement of the release of his film Sitaare Zameen Par on YouTube in Mumbai. (PTI)

Aamir Khan apologises for lying about digital release

At the press conference, Aamir was asked if he knew Sitaare Zameen Par would be released on YouTube after its theatrical run and if he had lied to everyone. He admitted to doing so and said, “I fold my hands and apologise because I lied when I said Sitaare Zameen Par wouldn’t be released on YouTube. I did it because I had no other choice. I had to protect the film’s theatrical business. I am very loyal to theatres, my life began with cinema. So, I have always strived to protect the theatrical business of my films. Still, I apologise because I had to lie. Otherwise, my dreams for this film would’ve ended there.”

Defends his stance on pay-per-view vs OTT

Aamir then spoke of how he still believes that films releasing on OTT platforms 8 weeks after their theatrical release didn’t fare well for the film industry. “There is a great difference between the pay-per-view model and the subscription model. When I release a film after 8 weeks on a subscription model, people aren’t buying my film. They’re only subscribing to the OTT platform. It wouldn’t matter if someone wants to watch it or doesn’t by then. I don’t want ₹125 crore from a big company, I want ₹100 from my audience. I believe the subscription model is only causing us harm,” said the actor.

After the press conference, the actor-producer also addressed the paparazzi and said, “The OTT platforms are mostly interested in buying films featuring big stars. Where does everyone else go?” while discussing his plans for pay-per-view. Before the film was released in theatres, Aamir had claimed that it would not be available on any platform for at least six months.

Sitaare Zameen Par will be released on YouTube on 1 August, six weeks after its theatrical release, and will be available to watch for ₹100. He plans to release every film he has made under the Aamir Khan Productions banner on YouTube, including the films Lagaan (2001), Taare Zameen Par (2007), and Peepli Live (2010). His father, late filmmaker Tahir Hussain’s films, will also be uploaded to the platform.