Aamir Khan’s much-awaited film Sitaare Zameen Par, a spiritual sequel to the beloved 2007 classic Taare Zameen Par, hit theaters on June 20, 2025, and it’s already creating a buzz. Directed by R.S. Prasanna and produced by Aamir Khan Productions, this sports comedy-drama brings a fresh yet familiar emotional punch, telling the story of a suspended basketball coach (played by Aamir) who finds redemption while mentoring a team of neurodivergent players. With Genelia Deshmukh in a key role and a talented ensemble of 10 debutant actors, the film has struck a chord with audiences for its heartfelt narrative and inclusive themes. But how is it performing at the box office? Let’s dive into the numbers and the sentiment surrounding this release.
A Decent Opening Day
According to early estimates from industry tracker Sacnilk, Sitaare Zameen Par collected approximately ₹11.50 crore net in India on its opening day across all languages (Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu). This figure, while respectable, fell short of the lofty expectations some had for an Aamir Khan starrer, with pre-release predictions ranging from ₹6 crore to as high as ₹30 crore for the opening day. By comparison, Aamir’s 2022 film Laal Singh Chaddha opened at ₹11.7 crore, and Salman Khan’s Sikandar debuted at ₹26 crore, indicating that Sitaare Zameen Par had a slower start than some of Aamir’s contemporaries.
Advance bookings showed promise but didn’t quite match the star power typically associated with Aamir. The film sold around 115,344 tickets for 9,542 shows nationwide, generating ₹3.31 crore in advance sales, which rose to ₹6.88 crore with blocked seats included. The Hindi version led the charge, contributing the bulk of the earnings with ₹3.19 crore from 103,884 tickets. Regionally, Delhi NCR topped the charts with ₹1.32 crore, followed by Maharashtra and Telangana. The film’s unconventional release strategy—limiting early morning shows and capping screenings to four between 11 AM and 6 PM—may have tempered its initial numbers, but a surge in last-hour bookings (over 10,000 tickets sold in a single hour) signaled growing audience interest by Friday evening.
Occupancy and Regional Performance
The film’s theater occupancy on day one averaged 17.73% for its Hindi version, with morning shows at 16.74%, afternoon shows at 16.25%, evening shows at 20.21%, and night shows peaking at 32.50%. The Tamil and Telugu versions saw lower occupancies at 16.21% and 16.35%, respectively, reflecting the film’s stronger appeal in Hindi-speaking regions. Jaipur led with an impressive 29.33% occupancy, highlighting regional variations in audience turnout. While these numbers are solid for a film of this genre, they suggest Sitaare Zameen Par is more of a slow-burn, word-of-mouth-driven project rather than a typical Aamir Khan blockbuster like Dangal or Ghajini.
Internationally, the film showed modest early performance. In the UAE, it sold 2,910 tickets across 190 shows, grossing AED 167.94K (approximately $45.73K). In North America, it earned $55,937 from 247 locations by 7 AM PST on release day. While these figures trail behind other 2025 releases like Sikandar or Housefull 5, they indicate a steady start with potential for growth, especially if positive reviews continue to spread.
Word-of-Mouth: The Key to Success
Unlike Aamir’s mass-appeal blockbusters, Sitaare Zameen Par is a film that thrives on its emotional depth and meaningful storytelling, much like its predecessor Taare Zameen Par, which opened at a modest ₹2.62 crore in 2007 but went on to become a cultural phenomenon with a lifetime collection of ₹62.50 crore. Trade analysts, including Taran Adarsh, have emphasized that this film’s success hinges on word-of-mouth. “This is not a Dhoom or Ghajini that will open with a bang,” Adarsh told ETimes. “It’s a word-of-mouth film. If the public reports are good, it could cross double digits on day one.”
Early reviews are promising. Author and philanthropist Sudha Murty, who attended a special screening, called the film an “eye-opener” for its sensitive portrayal of children with special needs, earning a standing ovation. Social media reactions on X echo this sentiment, with users praising the performances of the debutant actors—described as the “stars” of this emotional rollercoaster—and Aamir’s commitment to the role. One post on X even declared, “If you are a sensible human, then go and watch. After watching this movie, you learn 3 lessons for life, and these lessons can change your life.” The consensus is that Sitaare Zameen Par carries forward Aamir’s legacy of meaningful cinema, with some netizens claiming it fosters “acceptance” in the same way Taare Zameen Par brought “awareness.”
Challenges and Comparisons
Despite the positive buzz, the film’s opening day collection of ₹10.50–11.50 crore (as reported by sources like Pinkvilla and Sacnilk) has been described as “underwhelming” for an Aamir Khan project, especially given his reputation as Bollywood’s “Mr. Perfectionist.” Some X posts noted that the film’s advance bookings (30.5K tickets across all chains) lagged behind other 2025 releases like Dunki (152K) or Sikandar (82.5K), suggesting Aamir may need to rebuild audience trust after the underwhelming performance of Laal Singh Chaddha and Thugs of Hindostan.
The film’s reported budget of ₹45 crore, with Aamir forgoing his fee as producer and Genelia Deshmukh earning a rumored ₹1 crore, means it needs around ₹55 crore to break even and ₹70 crore for a “clean hit” status, according to an X user. This is an achievable target if the film sustains momentum over the weekend, especially with no major box office clashes and a strategic focus on theatrical exclusivity—Aamir has opted against an OTT release to drive cinema footfalls.
What Lies Ahead?
Sitaare Zameen Par is poised to grow over the weekend, with trade experts like Rajesh Thadani predicting a range of ₹10–15 crore for day one and up to ₹30–35 crore for the opening weekend if word-of-mouth remains strong. Its unique blend of humor, heart, and social commentary, combined with the debut of 10 specially-abled actors, has already won over critics and early audiences. As one X post put it, “Netizens ask people to stop complaining that Bollywood doesn’t make good movies after watching Sitaare Zameen Par.”
The film’s trajectory will likely mirror Taare Zameen Par’s slow-but-steady success rather than the explosive openings of Aamir’s action-packed hits. With its emotional resonance and a star-studded premiere attended by the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, Sitaare Zameen Par has the potential to become a sleeper hit, provided audiences continue to spread the word. For now, it’s off to a heartfelt start, proving that sometimes, the stars on earth shine brightest when given time to glow.
