Aamir Khan's Rs 122 crore budget movie was left by his partner because of OTT release issue

Aamir Khan’s comeback film Sitaare Zameen Par has not only started emotional conversations among audiences but has also created waves in the way it is being distributed. After months of resisting traditional OTT deals, Aamir has now confirmed that the film will eventually be available for streaming. He recently revealed the main budget of the film.

Sitaare Zameen Par made on a budget Rs 200 crore

In a recent podcast appearance on The Town with journalist Matthew Belloni, Aamir revealed that the movie, which was initially made on a planned budget of Rs 96 crore (approximately $11 million), ultimately ended up costing him nearly Rs 122–133 crore. The sudden spike in budget was due to Khan buying out a former partner who wasn’t aligned with his unique release approach. “They weren’t very keen on this rash idea of mine. They didn’t like me turning down money,” Aamir admitted.


Interestingly, the actor had earlier turned down a lucrative Rs 120 crore OTT offer from Amazon Prime Video, opting instead for a theatrical release followed by a pay-per-view model on YouTube. The film is now available on YouTube for Rs 100, a move Aamir sees as both democratising and disruptive. “It’s doing way beyond what YouTube expected,” he said, although he refrained from sharing exact figures due to contractual restrictions.

This makes Sitaare Zameen Par one of the few high-budget Indian films to take the YouTube pay-per-view route. While the film has crossed Rs 276 crore in worldwide collections as per Sacnilk.com. Aamir confirmed that he has yet to recover his personal investment. He remains optimistic, however, with both YouTube and his own team actively promoting the film online.

On the subject of revenue sharing, Aamir hinted that his agreement with YouTube is more favourable than the standard 50:50 box office split between producers and theatrical distributors. While specifics were not disclosed, this could pave the way for a new revenue model in the industry, especially beneficial for independent and small-scale filmmakers who often struggle to find theatre space for their films.

“This can really help indie filmmakers,” Aamir shared, pointing out how platforms like YouTube offer global reach beyond the constraints of cinema chains and geographies. "My film is available not just in India but globally. That’s the kind of access we’re talking about."

More about Sitaare Zameen Par

Directed by RS Prasanna, Sitaare Zameen Par stars Aamir Khan, Genelia Deshmukh, and ten newcomers including Aroush Datta and Gopi Krishna Varma. The music is composed by the renowned trio Shankar–Ehsaan Loy, with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya.