Aamir Khan’s much-anticipated emotional drama Sitaare Zameen Par had a measured start at the box office this morning, but is now showing encouraging signs of picking up pace as the day progresses. The film, which released today (June 20), had most of its shows scheduled to begin post 10 am, resulting in a relatively slow advance booking figure in the early hours. However, as per BookMyShow data, the last one hour alone has seen a surge of over 10,000 tickets booked for the film, indicating growing audience interest.As of 1 pm today, Sitaare Zameen Par has managed to collect Rs 1.68 crore in India. Its advance booking prior to release stood at Rs 3.31 crore from 115,344 tickets sold across 9,542 shows nationwide. With block seats included, the total pre-release booking value climbed to Rs 6.88 crore, giving the film a respectable start despite the limited early morning show count.The film’s primary business is coming from the Hindi belt, with Rs 3.19 crore gross generated through 103,884 tickets in the Hindi 2D format alone. Its presence in regional languages like Tamil and Telugu is limited but notable, especially with 9,309 tickets sold for the Telugu version.In contrast, Kuberaa — starring Dhanush, Nagarjuna, and Rashmika Mandanna — has had a much stronger opening at the Indian box office, earning Rs 3.58 crore till 1 pm on its release day. Made on a reported budget of Rs 120 crore, Kuberaa has been consistently drawing in crowds, with advance bookings and early show numbers reflecting steady footfalls.While Sitaare Zameen Par had a slower start due to its show timings and the genre’s typically selective audience appeal, the afternoon and evening shows are expected to perform better, especially with the sharp spike in last-hour ticket bookings hinting at positive word of mouth and growing curiosity.If the current booking momentum sustains through the evening and weekend, Sitaare Zameen Par could well find its footing at the box office, balancing out its day-one numbers with a steady pickup in collections.The film has a star studded premiere last night which was attended by Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Rekha, Vicky Kaushal and many more.
