Trade experts agree that there has been RELUCTANCE to acknowledge the success of Sitaare Zameen Par, despite its exceptional run: “Many got into the race to prove that the film has failed”

By Fenil Seta -

July 7, 2025 - 11:00 AM IST

Sitaare Zameen Par, starring Aamir Khan, has emerged as a big hit despite its urban appeal and not-so-great start. Ideally, it should have called for celebration everywhere. Instead, one can sense a reluctance in the section of trade and netizens to acknowledge its success, even when box office numbers indicate otherwise. We talked to trade experts on this aspect and a lot more.

Trade experts agree that there has been RELUCTANCE to acknowledge the success of Sitaare Zameen Par, despite its exceptional run: “Many got into the race to prove that the film has failed”

Trade veteran Taran Adarsh said, “Everyone, for whom the business matters, is acknowledging it. I am talking about the distributors and exhibitors. Everyone knows that it has done well among its target audience.”

Distributor and exhibitor Raj Bansal agreed, “There was a reluctance from day 1. Nowadays, there are camps in Hindi cinema belonging to various actors. The PR agencies run those camps on behalf of actors and they try to pull down the films of other actors. I don’t have any evidence for what I am saying. But I am 100% sure ki aisa hi kuchh chal raha hai.”

He also said, “People even gave wrong information about the budget of the film. If you put aside the budget of the film, the cost can’t be more than Rs. 40 crores. Basically, many got into the race to prove that the film has failed.”

Taran Adarsh added, “The negativity is something that you can’t control in today’s times. I feel that aap kitna bhi kuchh kar lo, there will never be a 100% unanimous reaction. There would be people who would give you bouquets and there would be people who would give you brickbats. The biggest of films in the recent past also met with those mixed reactions. Eventually, what matters are the box office numbers. If the collections support and if the exhibitors and distributors are happy, that’s all that matters.”

He reiterated, “So, if someone wants to spread negativity by writing articles, making videos and posting on social media, it will be absolutely of no consequence if your balance sheet is green.”

Girish Johar, producer and eminent film business analyst, on the same lines, remarked, “If there’s no acknowledgement within the fraternity or the trade, it does not matter. If the audience has liked it and they are giving thumbs up and talking about it, that’s the number one validation for the film.”

Has Sitaare Zameen Par become a scapegoat in a season where many films underperformed? Girish agreed saying, “I believe that we tend to become too analytical with the film. We are so used to failures that even if your film does mildly well, we don’t accept it easily. We are living in skeptical times.”

Also Read: Aamir Khan attends special exhibitors’ event honouring Sitaare Zameen Par’s success