Aamir Khan's bold move of releasing his latest film Sitaare Zameen Par only in theatres met with resistance, but slowly and steadily the movie has climbed its way up at the box office.
The film recorded an all-India net box office collection of over Rs 125 crore (as of June 29) and is running successfully across cinemas nationwide, noted Gautam Dutta, CEO, revenue and operations, PVR INOX Ltd.
Business has turned around after Sitaare Zameen Par's release, said Sanjay Barjatya, CEO, Roongta Cinemas.
"The film revived the business for June and we have seen some profits coming. After Chaava, business was slow and we were only at break-even point. The April-June quarter was under stress," he added.
Steady flow
Sitaare Zameen Par is in the race to become the fifth highest grossing film of 2025, competing with Salman Khan's Sikandar which collected Rs 129.95 crore. On the worldwide business front, Sitaare Zameen Par's brought in Rs 195.29 crore, surpassing the 2025 Akshay Kumar release Sky Force, which earned Rs 174.21 crore. Sitaare Zameen Par is now expected to beat Sikandar's worldwide business of Rs 211 crore.
"I feel this film has legs, it will continue to draw audiences over the coming weeks. It’s a great example of how, when the content connects emotionally, the theatrical model wins," said Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, managing director, Miraj Entertainment.
Made with a budget of around Rs 90 crore, the film has emerged as a successful venture, a rare feat for Hindi films in the last one year. Playing at limited screens with footfall concentrated at certain properties, the sports comedy's occupancy in theatres increased from 7 percent on second Friday (June 27) reached to 22.8 percent during its second Sunday.
Barjatya is seeing higher audience numbers in the second week of the film's release, especially in smaller centres where people mostly go by recommendations from people they know.
He expects the movie to have a good run in theatres for perhaps the next fortnight or so. "There will be no slowdown in Sitaare Zameen Par's momentum till July 10-15, " he said, adding that what makes him confident is the additional business he is receiving from bulk bookings by schools.
"I have a booking for 1,700 students for our Ghaziabad property. Block bookings by schools is an untapped opportunity. Schools that were booking shows of the Hollywood venture How to Train Your Dragon are now opting for Sitaare Zameen Par."
The film’s ability to hold audiences across age groups, a particularly important requisite for family outings, has been a key differentiator, said Rahul Puri, managing director, Mukta A2 Cinemas.
"The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, especially for its heartfelt narrative and meaningful message. Many viewers are not just recommending it but returning with others to watch it again, which is always a great sign," he added.
Dutta also saw an overwhelming response for Sitaare Zameen Par. Audience reactions have been filled with emotion, with many describing it as both heartwarming and thought-provoking, he said.
From day one of the film's release, Mendiratta also witnessed a steady flow of families, school groups, even older couples walking in—many coming out with tears in their eyes and a smile on their face, according to him.
"The film has held strong across our cinemas in metros and smaller towns alike. Occupancy has been consistent, especially over weekends, and the word-of-mouth (publicity) has been very strong," he added.
Aamir's bet paid off
Khan’s decision to opt for an exclusive theatrical release has proved wise, Dutta noted.
"The film’s performance reaffirms that when the content connects, audiences are more than willing to step out and experience it in theatres. We believe this success will encourage more producers and filmmakers to embrace the exclusive theatrical route," he added.
Barjatya said that Sitaare Zameen Par not streaming on any OTT or over the top platform is working in its favour. "This strategy has yielded the result. I expect the film's business to be in the range of Rs 175-200 crore in the next 15 days," he said.
Puri pointed out that in an age where audiences have multiple platforms to choose from, a steady box office performance shows the film is connecting emotionally and drawing people back into theatres. "This kind of sustained performance is increasingly rare and speaks volumes about the resonance it (Sitaare Zameen Par) has found across demographics," he said.
He also highlighted Khan's understanding of audience sentiment and cinematic timing.
"With Sitaare Zameen Par, he has shown that a compelling story, released with confidence exclusively in theatres, can still command attention and success. It reinforces the idea that theatrical isn’t just viable—it’s essential for the right kind of films. His strategy could inspire more producers to invest in the big-screen experience as a priority, rather than an afterthought," he pointed out.
Sitaare Zameen Par is one of those films that reminds you why theatres matter, Mendiratta added.
The film picked up pace in its second week, not just in India but elsewhere as well, especially in North America, collecting Rs 51 crore from the international market.
"Overseas, the film is also finding its ground steadily, particularly in regions with strong Indian diaspora presence like the Middle East, North America and the UK. With the kind of emotional pull and universal themes the film offers, we believe it still has several strong weekends ahead and is well on track for a long theatrical run with solid lifetime numbers," Puri said.
Box office business
India's box office business in the first five months of 2025 stood at Rs 4,812 crore, 27 percent higher than the same period last year, according to media consulting firm Ormax.
May, with a box office business of Rs 1,136 crore, turned out to be the second best month after February, which recorded a revenue of Rs 1,264 crore, driven by Hindi and Hollywood films. Both Bollywood and English films have seen a slowdown in business at the box office in the last one year but both segments got some respite in May.
Ajay Devgn-starrer Raid 2 and Hollywood film Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning were the major contributors, together accounting for 28 percent of the month's box office collections. Raid 2 with earnings of around Rs 200 crore is the second highest grossing Hindi film of 2025, behind Chhaava.
With three Hollywood films in May's top 10 highest grossing films list—Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Final Destination Bloodlines and Thunderbolts—May turned out to be the strongest month for Hollywood in India since July 2023 with the Oppenheimer-Barbie effect.
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