Mumbai, Aug 5 (IANS) In a bold move, Aamir Khan decided to release his blockbuster hit “Sitaare Zameen Par” exclusively on YouTube.
During an exclusive interaction with IANS, filmmaker Neeraj Pandey reacted to this, saying that being in the entertainment business, they constantly have to prove themselves.
When asked, “Aamir Khan released ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ on YouTube. As a filmmaker, do you envision taking a similar approach in the future?, Neeraj replied that one will have to ask Aamir that question.
Speaking to IANS, he shared, “We constantly have to prove ourselves every Friday- if not to them, then to the audience. So, let’s let go of the illusion, or rather, the dillusion that we don’t have to prove anything – every Friday is a litmus.”
Reflecting on the decision to release “Sitaare Zameen Par” only on YouTube, Aamir revealed that for the last 15 years, he has been struggling with the challenge of how to reach audiences who do not have geographical access to theatres, or those who are unable to make it to theatres for various reasons, and now the time for the perfect storm has finally come.
“With our government bringing in UPI and India becoming No. 1 in the world in electronic payments, with internet penetration in India having grown dramatically and growing every day, and with YouTube being on most devices, we can finally reach vast sections of people in India, and a significant part of the world,” Mr Perfectionist said.
Aamir added that his dream is that cinema should reach everyone at a reasonable and affordable price.
“I want people to have the ease of watching cinema when they want, where they want. If this idea works, creative voices can tell different stories, breaking geographical and other barriers. This will also be a great opportunity for younger creative people entering the field of cinema. If this idea works, then I see this as a win-win for all,” he concluded.
–IANS
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