Aamir Khan’s ‘Sitaare Zameen Par,’ the sequel to the beloved ‘Taare Zameen Par,’ is set to hit theaters. The film, focusing on specially abled children and featuring Khan as a basketball coach, is slated for release on June 20th. However, the film has faced a disappointing start in advance bookings.
According to industry reports, the advance bookings for the first day of release managed to earn just Rs 1 crore as of Thursday morning, a day before its theatrical debut. This is significantly less than ‘Laal Singh Chaddha,’ Aamir’s previous film, which had already secured Rs 5.52 crore in advance ticket sales, despite not performing well overall.
The film faced a delay due to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which asked for some cuts. Aamir resisted, but the film ultimately received clearance from the CBFC. Industry analysts suggest that the late start to advance bookings was caused by this delay.
‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ is also behind other upcoming movies like ‘Jaat,’ with over Rs 2.37 crore in advance bookings, and ‘Kesari Chapter 2,’ which has earned Rs 1.84 crore. While it might catch up, it is unlikely to match the figures of ‘Sikandar,’ starring Salman Khan (Rs 10.09 crore), or ‘Housefull 5,’ starring Akshay Kumar (Rs 8.02 crore).
Film trade analyst Atul Mohan suggests that this is not unusual for Aamir Khan’s films, which often have a slower start and rely on positive word-of-mouth to build momentum. He still believes that ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ has the potential to perform well if it receives good reviews.
Aamir also chose to decline a substantial offer of Rs 120 crore from Amazon Prime Video for the film’s OTT rights. If the film underperforms in theaters, Aamir could potentially lose Rs 120 crore.
Directed by RS Prasanna, the film stars Genelia D’Souza and introduces ten new actors playing specially abled characters. It is a remake of the Spanish film ‘Campeones.’
