Aamir Khan is preparing for his comeback with ‘Sitaare Zameen Par,’ the spiritual successor to the 2007 hit ‘Taare Zameen Par.’ The new film explores the lives of children with special needs, with Aamir portraying a basketball coach. Scheduled for release this Friday, June 20, the movie has encountered a sluggish start at the box office due to disappointing advance bookings.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film’s advance booking for Day 1 reached just Rs 1 crore by Thursday morning, a mere 24 hours before its theatrical debut. This figure is notably lower than Aamir’s previous film, ‘Laal Singh Chaddha,’ which amassed Rs 5.52 crore in advance bookings, despite its own underwhelming performance.
The film recently faced a setback when the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) requested two cuts, which Aamir initially resisted, citing creative integrity. However, the film was eventually cleared by the CBFC. Industry observers suggest that the delayed CBFC certification led to the late opening of bookings, which began late Tuesday night.
‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ is lagging behind other 2025 films like ‘Jaat’ (Rs 2.37 crore in advance bookings) and ‘Kesari Chapter 2’ (Rs 1.84 crore). While it might surpass these titles with a last-minute surge, it’s unlikely to match the advance numbers 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 optimistic, noting that Aamir Khan’s films, excluding ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ and ‘Dhoom 3,’ often start slowly and build momentum through word-of-mouth. He believes ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ can still perform well if it generates positive buzz.
Aamir also declined a substantial Rs 120 crore offer from Amazon Prime Video for the film’s OTT rights. If the film doesn’t attract a large audience in theaters, Aamir could face a financial loss of Rs 120 crore.
Directed by RS Prasanna, the film stars Genelia D’Souza and introduces ten newcomers playing specially abled characters. It is a remake of the Spanish film ‘Campeones.’