Aamir Khan’s much-anticipated film ‘Sitaare Zameen Par,’ a sequel to his earlier hit ‘Taare Zameen Par,’ is gearing up for release. The film explores the themes of special needs children, with Khan playing a basketball coach. Set to release this Friday, June 20th, the movie has begun with a subdued performance in terms of advance bookings.
Data from industry tracker Sacnilk reveals that the advance bookings for the film’s first day managed to cross just Rs 1 crore by Thursday morning, a day before the premiere. This is significantly lower than the Rs 5.52 crore garnered by Aamir’s previous film, ‘Laal Singh Chaddha,’ despite its own struggles at the box office.
The film experienced a last-minute hurdle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which requested cuts. Aamir initially resisted, defending the project’s creative vision. Ultimately, the film was approved by the CBFC.
The late start to advance bookings, which initiated late Tuesday, is attributed to the delayed CBFC certification, according to industry insiders.
Comparatively, ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ trails behind other 2025 releases such as ‘Jaat’ (Rs 2.37 crore in advance bookings) and ‘Kesari Chapter 2’ (Rs 1.84 crore). While it might gain ground, it’s unlikely to reach the advance booking figures of Salman Khan’s ‘Sikandar’ (Rs 10.09 crore) or Akshay Kumar’s ‘Housefull 5’ (Rs 8.02 crore).
Film trade analyst Atul Mohan remains hopeful. He points out that most Aamir Khan films, excluding ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ and ‘Dhoom 3,’ tend to begin slowly, gaining traction via word-of-mouth. He expects that ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ can succeed if it builds positive reviews.
Aamir turned down a large offer of Rs 120 crore from Amazon Prime Video for the film’s OTT rights. If the film does not do well in theaters, Aamir could face a loss of Rs 120 crore.
Directed by RS Prasanna, the film features Genelia D’Souza. The movie also introduces ten new actors in roles portraying specially abled characters. It is a remake of the Spanish film ‘Campeones.’