- By Tapapriya Dutta
- Wed, 29 Oct 2025 12:31 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Aamir Khan has implemented a change in the conventional way of OTT releases, as he announced that all his films will be streaming on YouTube according to a pay-per-view model, which costs Rs 100 per watch. To begin with, he decided to release his film Sitaare Zameen Par under the same model on his production’s other YouTube channel, Aamir Khan Talkies. Several prominent figures from the industry have lauded the decision, calling it a smart move. However, apart from Aamir Khan, no other filmmaker has made the move yet. So, what do filmmakers think about this? In an interview with The Daily Jagran, Safdar Abbas, who directed Rohit Roy-starrer Controll with Naahid Shah, spoke about this decision as a great opportunity for theatrical releases and called it a new source of revenue for films.
When asked if he sees Aamir Khan’s decision to release films on YouTube pay-per-view as a great opportunity, Safdar Abbas said, “Aamir Khan releasing a film on YouTube, I think it is a great idea to find a new way of connecting with people and giving a platform to a film. So I absolutely agree with Mr Khan, and he's a very innovative person, so he must have thought a lot before doing this and it might bring a new era or a new revenue for a film.”
Apart from this, this year has seen considerable discussion about eight-week ticket windows between theatrical and OTT releases. Stars like Vishnu Manchu, who initiated the widespread discussion, followed the same model for his movie, Kannappa. The film might not have shattered box office records but Manchu’s decision not to release films on OTT sooner became an industry debate. Several filmmakers have made the conscious decision to follow the same marketing strategy, while others have refrained. Controll director Safdar Abbas also supported the model of having a mandatory 8-week ticket window between theatrical and OTT release of a film. He believes that if filmmakers follow this pattern, then the audience will have the motivation to watch movies in theatres.
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Talking about Safdar Abbas, the filmmaker is known for directing movies like Controll (2025), Bekarar (2008) and Chatrapathi (2023). His latest film, Controll featured Thakur Anoop Singh, Priya Anand, Rohit Roy, Karan Singh Chhabra, Rajesh Sharma, Palak Jaiswal, Rudrashish Majumder and Siddharth Banerjee in key roles. The movie was released in theatres on October 10, 2025.