Aamir Khan’s much-anticipated film, ‘Sitaare Zameen Par,’ a spiritual sequel to the acclaimed ‘Taare Zameen Par,’ is set to be released. The movie centers on children with special needs, with Khan taking on the role of a basketball coach. Scheduled for release on Friday, June 20, the film has seen a subdued start in advance bookings.
Industry tracker Sacnilk revealed that the advance booking for Day 1 crossed just Rs 1 crore by Thursday morning, 24 hours before the premiere. This figure is significantly lower than the Rs 5.52 crore that Aamir’s previous film, ‘Laal Singh Chaddha,’ managed to collect in advance bookings.
The film faced an unexpected hurdle when the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) requested some cuts. Aamir initially resisted, citing creative integrity, but the film was ultimately cleared by the CBFC. Industry sources indicate that the delay in the CBFC certification was responsible for the late commencement of advance bookings, which began late Tuesday night.
‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ lags behind other 2025 releases, such as ‘Jaat,’ which has garnered over Rs 2.37 crore in advance bookings, and ‘Kesari Chapter 2,’ which has reached Rs 1.84 crore. While the film may surpass these titles with a last-minute boost, it faces an uphill battle to match the advance numbers of Salman Khan’s ‘Sikandar,’ which has exceeded Rs 10.09 crore, and Akshay Kumar’s ‘Housefull 5,’ which opened strongly with Rs 8.02 crore.
Film trade analyst Atul Mohan remains optimistic. He notes that Aamir Khan’s films, excluding ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ and ‘Dhoom 3,’ are known for their slower starts, often gaining momentum through positive word-of-mouth. He maintains hope for ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ if it receives favorable reviews.
Aamir Khan also declined a considerable Rs 120 crore offer from Amazon Prime Video for the film’s OTT rights. If the film fails to perform well in theaters, Aamir could potentially incur a loss of Rs 120 crore.
Directed by RS Prasanna, the film features Genelia D’Souza and introduces ten newcomers playing specially abled characters. It is a remake of the Spanish film ‘Campeones.’