Aamir Khan’s return to the big screen with Sitaare Zameen Par has generated considerable buzz, but early figures suggest a quiet opening compared to his previous films. The emotional drama, directed by R.S. Prasanna, has recorded advance booking sales of approximately Rs 6.88 crore for its opening day, according to sacnilk.com. These numbers fall short of expectations and well below the Rs 11.70 crore opening of Khan’s 2022 film Laal Singh Chaddha.According to data from industry tracker Sacnilk, the film has sold over 1.15 lakh tickets across 9,542 shows nationwide ahead of its theatrical release on June 20. The bulk of the earnings has come from the Hindi version, which accounts for Rs 3.18 crore through 9,037 shows and 1.03 lakh tickets. The Tamil version has contributed Rs 2.73 lakh across 163 shows, while the Telugu version brought in Rs 9.84 lakh from 342 shows. The total advance figures, including revenue from blocked seats, push the cumulative total to Rs 6.88 crore.Unconventional Release StrategyIn a surprising move, the makers have adopted a staggered show format for release day. A revised communication sent to exhibitors earlier this week outlines strict scheduling restrictions for Friday, June 20. No shows are to be screened before 11 AM, and theatres are allowed a maximum of four screenings between 11 AM and 6 PM. Post 6 PM, normal screening schedules may resume. These guidelines, however, are limited to the release day alone — from Saturday, June 21, standard programming will be reinstated.The decision to delay early morning screenings and cap afternoon shows appears to be a strategic attempt to create controlled demand and concentrate audiences during peak hours. However, industry insiders believe this may have affected day-one revenue potential.Box Office Projections and Industry ResponseTrade analyst Taran Adarsh, in a statement to ETimes, commented that Sitaare Zameen Par may witness a slow start at the ticket windows but could pick up momentum with strong word-of-mouth. Still, the film’s day-one earnings place it among Khan’s lower openers in recent years. While Laal Singh Chaddha debuted at Rs 11.70 crore despite mixed reviews, Sitaare Zameen Par is expected to remain under Rs 8 crore for its opening day, even with late-hour screenings.Comparatively, Taare Zameen Par, Khan’s 2007 directorial debut with a similarly emotional theme, opened at Rs 2.62 crore but went on to become a sleeper hit through strong word-of-mouth and critical acclaim. Whether Sitaare Zameen Par can mirror that long-tail success remains to be seen.
