Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has already arrived in Australia. He’s here as guest of honour at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. During the festival, a large retrospective of his work will be presented, celebrating his ground-breaking contributions to Indian cinema. One of the films showcased is Khan’s latest release, Sitaare Zameen Par. It’s made headlines for a different reason— for its artistic merit, yes, but for its unique and ambitious release strategy.
Like Bollywood superstar actor Aamir Khan, who is keen to get his film seen by as wide an audience as possible. That’s why he’s made Sitaare Zameen Par available on YouTube for just $2 a view. This move only increases the burden as the ticket price hike continues and many theatres in smaller cities are shutting down under distressing circumstances in India. Khan aims to democratize access to Bollywood films, ensuring that his work reaches audiences regardless of their geographical or economic circumstances.
A Shift in Distribution Strategy
Aamir Khan just took the historic step by releasing Sitaare Zameen Par on YouTube. His decision proves his commitment and very real passion for the changing future of Indian cinema. He added that ticket prices have been getting out of reach, increasingly putting screenings out of reach for many. “As a creative individual, I would like all the people in India to enjoy my movie,” he announced. He highlighted the steps he’s taking to make the film distribution process more inclusive to everyone.
Khan highlighted a striking statistic: India has approximately 9,000 cinemas for its 1.4 billion population, with only around 4,000-5,000 screens available for Hindi films. This small number creates a very limited distribution and greatly restricts access for millions of possible viewers. “Of these 9,000 [Indian cinemas], about half cover the south languages,” he said.
While this initiative’s overall mission is to advance accessibility across the board, it hopes to leverage the potential of digital platforms. India is home to more than 419 million YouTube users. This huge potential audience could completely change how and why audiences watch and engage with Bollywood films.
The Impact of Piracy on Audience Growth
In a candid discussion about the influence of piracy on his career, Aamir Khan acknowledged its role in expanding his audience internationally. “It occurred, to be perfectly frank, due to piracy,” he said. He credited illegal downloads for helping his film 3 Idiots “go viral all over the place,” connecting him with viewers who might not have been familiar with his work otherwise.
Khan views piracy as a double-edged weapon. Though it creates significant hurdles, he recognizes its power to create awareness and develop a fan base such as in China, Singapore, Japan, and Korea. “I’m really happy that it did because it connected me to a huge audience that was otherwise not familiar with my work,” he added.
This recognition of piracy as a two-edged sword underscores the plight and promise that filmmakers struggle with in our modern digital era. Piracy remains a serious concern. Its unforeseen silver linings underscore the importance of finding new ways to distribute that can flex to changing audience habits and preferences.
Challenges and Censorship in Cinema
And though digital platforms hold great promise moving forward, Aamir Khan and other filmmakers continue to contend with political pressure, harassment and censorship. Ashvin Devasundaram pointed out that some films deemed politically sensitive have faced attempts by the government to remove them from YouTube. He observed that some movies have been more effective in raising political issues. In fact, the government has even attempted to play the role of censor and get YouTube to remove them.
Sunny Singh, founder of New York Indian Film Festival, voiced this concern and shared a similar enthusiasm regarding releases going digital. “This is that one silver bullet that changes everything,” he said. You are truly opening the demographic up for many reasons, not just economic, but the social reasons, safety reasons.
Aamir Khan is very much in touch with the reality that modern filmmakers and distributors face. His new efforts should probably serve as a guide to future creators who are looking to connect with communities outside the mainstream and shatter glass ceilings.
