'Sitaare Zameen Par' shatters Aamir Khan's box office dry spell
What's the story
Aamir Khan's latest film, Sitaare Zameen Par, has broken his box office dry spell by earning a whopping ₹66.65cr in just four days since its release. The film is a spiritual sequel to Khan's critically acclaimed 2007 movie Taare Zameen Par and was released on June 20. It raked in ₹10.7cr on the first day, followed by ₹20.2cr on the second day and ₹27.25cr on the third day, followed by ₹8.5cr on Monday.
Box office impact
'Film shatters the myth that only spectacle cinema works...'
Kamal Gianchandani, chief of Business Planning & Strategy at PVR INOX Ltd, told PTI that the film's success is a "massive win" for Khan. He said, "(Khan) took a bold decision, and audiences have respected his sincerity." Gianchandani also added that the film shatters the myth that "only spectacle cinema" works in theaters. Devang Sampat, CEO of Cinepolis India, echoed these sentiments and noted how admissions had nearly tripled by Sunday.
Urban resurgence
'Marks the return of urban multiplex hits'
Distributor-exhibitor Akshay Rathi, who owns theaters in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, said Sitaare Zameen Par has done a "decent" business in urban India. He told PTI, "The film has risen like a phoenix from day one to three." "Post the pandemic, massy big films like Pathaan, Jawan, Animal, and Gadar worked, and everyone wrote off urban multiplex films, but Sitaare Zameen Par marks the return of urban multiplex hits."
Box office hurdles
Limited release, single-screen numbers concern some in trade
Despite the film's success, trade analyst Girish Wankhede expressed concerns about its performance in single-screen theaters. He said that while there has been a noticeable jump in business, the numbers are still below expectations for an Aamir Khan-led movie. "I believe stars should make films that reach a wide audience, but this has had a limited release," Wankhede told PTI.
Film details
The film also stars Genelia Deshmukh and 10 newcomers
The film, directed by RS Prasanna and produced by Khan's Aamir Khan Productions, also stars Genelia Deshmukh and 10 differently-abled actors—Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra, Simran Mangeshkar. The story follows a group of differently-abled youth who are misunderstood by society but find solace in their friendship, and teach valuable lessons to their haughty basketball coach.