Aamir Khan Launches Disruptive Pay-Per-View Movie Channel on YouTube, Starting with 'Sitaare Zameen Par' For ₹100

Actor and producer Aamir Khan has officially announced his pay-per-view movie channel on YouTube, promising easy accessibility and affordability to millions of Indians. With decreasing footfalls in theatres, Aamir believes the model will help reach untapped audiences and democratise filmmaking. 

To kick things off, Aamir’s latest film, the comedy sports-drama Sitaare Zameen Par, having concluded its theatrical run, will be released on his YouTube channel, Aamir Khan Talkies. The film will be available at an affordable price point of ₹100. Outside of India, it can be rented in 38 international markets, including USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, among others, with pricing localised for each market.

Beyond Sitaare..., the entire back catalog of Aamir Khan Productions including classics like Lagaan, Dangal and Peepli Live will be available on the channel. Aamir’s acclaimed television show Satyamev Jayate will be available for free on the channel, while movies produced by his father, late Tahir Hussain, will also stream on it. The content strategy will be a mix of free and on-demand content. 

At an event in Mumbai, Aamir said that in India, post-pandemic, the theatrical business was struggling. He said that 55 crore Indians visit YouTube daily, a revolution enabled by vast digital penetration and bolstered commercially by UPI. 

Aamir said that the subscription-based model on traditional streaming platforms “did not make sense to me”. 

He said that the short theatrical window (typically 8 weeks or less) on streamers doesn’t ‘suit him’. By contrast, new releases on Aamir Khan Talkies will stream only after the film has completed a thorough theatrical run.

In interviews ahead of Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir had rubbished reports that the film will arrive on YouTube. “I apologise with folded hands for lying to you because I was protecting the theatrical business.”

Sitaare Zameen Par will stream exclusively on YouTube starting on 1 August, 2025. 

Commenting on the launch, Khan 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. With our government bringing in UPI and India becoming number one in the world in electronic payments, with internet penetration in India having grown dramatically and growing everyday, and with YouTube being on most devices, we can finally reach vast sections of people in India, and a significant part of the world. My dream is that cinema should reach everyone at a reasonable and affordable price. I want people to have the ease of watching cinema when they want, where they want. If this idea works, creative voices can tell different stories breaking geographical and other barriers. This will also be a great opportunity for younger creative people entering the field of cinema. If this idea works, then I see this as a win-win for all.”

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 democratising 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.”

Next up, Aamir is producing Lahore 1947 starring Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta, and Ek Din, featuring Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi, both under his banner Aamir Khan Productions.