Aamir Khan’s ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ Struggles With Low Pre-Release Buzz Despite Big Comeback

Aamir Khan is making a much-awaited return to the big screen this weekend with Sitaare Zameen Par, directed by RS Prasanna. The film marks his first release in three years, and expectations are understandably high—not just from fans, but also within the industry. However, early trends suggest that this excitement may not be translating into strong box office numbers.

Once considered Bollywood’s most bankable star, Aamir Khan has had a tough few years following the box office failures of Thugs of Hindostan and Laal Singh Chaddha. With Sitaare Zameen Par, he’s hoping to reconnect with audiences and reclaim his spot at the top. But according to early estimates, the film may face an uphill battle.

Some reports predicted an opening of ₹10-11 crore, but sources within the trade say that number could be overly optimistic. “The buzz isn’t strong enough. We’re hearing it may open in the ₹5-6 crore range,” a trade insider told us. If that happens, Sitaare Zameen Par would earn just half of what Laal Singh Chaddha did on its opening day back in August 2022—₹11.70 crore—despite that film ultimately underperforming at the box office.

Advance booking figures aren’t encouraging either. As of Thursday morning, just a day before release, advance ticket sales had barely crossed ₹1 crore. That’s far behind Laal Singh Chaddha’s ₹5.65 crore and even further behind recent hit Housefull 5, which clocked ₹10.05 crore in advance sales.

### Will the Film Pick Up?

The film reportedly has a budget of ₹80 crore. For it to be declared a hit, trade analysts say it would need to earn at least ₹100 crore nett in India. That’s a tall order, especially with a slow start. Even smaller films like Jaat (starring Sunny Deol) and Bhool Chuk Maaf (with Rajkummar Rao) opened stronger, though neither crossed ₹100 crore in total domestic earnings.

There is still some hope, though. Aamir Khan has a history of delivering sleeper hits that grow significantly through word of mouth. Dangal, for example, opened strong at ₹29 crore but soared in the following weeks, with its second Sunday alone earning ₹32 crore. But even those films had strong initial traction—something Sitaare Zameen Par seems to be lacking.

### What Went Wrong?

Aamir Khan built his reputation not just on good scripts, but also on exceptional marketing. Films like 3 Idiots, PK, and Dangal succeeded in part because of how well they were positioned to the public. This time, however, that magic appears to be missing.

Film trade analyst Atul Mohan weighed in: “Aamir Khan, known for his marketing brilliance, seems to have been let down by his PR and marketing team. He’s giving plenty of interviews, but the message about what the film is really about isn’t coming through. I genuinely hope the film works, because we want the industry to do well. But the buzz is low.”

Directed by RS Prasanna, Sitaare Zameen Par sees Aamir playing a basketball coach who leads a team of children with special needs. The film also stars Genelia D’Souza and introduces ten young actors with special needs in their debut roles.

As the film hits theatres, all eyes will be on whether the audience connects with its emotional core—and whether that connection is strong enough to turn the tide at the box office.