Aamir Khan explains why Indian films are struggling in theatres: Our business model is flawed-OxBig News Network

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan speaks at the session ‘Studios of the Future: Putting India on World Studio Map’ at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 in Mumbai on Friday (May 2, 2025)
| Photo Credit: PTI

Actor Aamir Khan on Friday (May 2, 2025) tore into Indian cinema’s ‘flawed’ business model, averring that the short eight-week theatrical window before films wind up on OTT ‘does not make sense to me’. Aamir, star of iconic blockbusters like Dangal, 3 Idiots and PK, was speaking at a session on the second day of the World Audio Visual & Entertainment (WAVES) Summit in BKC, Mumbai.

Calling for an expansion in screen count across the country, Aamir said, “Only 2% of our population watches films in theatres. Where is the remaining audience?”

India, at present, has close to 10,000 movie theatres, with 47% of them in Southern India. Theatrical footfalls have been reportedly on a decline since the pandemic, especially for Hindi films, attributed to high ticket prices and the rise of OTT.

“My belief has always been that we need to have a lot more theatres in India,” Aamir said. “There are so many districts and tracts of vast areas which don’t have a single theatre for people to watch films. That is what we should be investing in. India has massive potential but that potential will not be realised if you don’t have those points-of-sale across the country. For instance, if I live in the Konkan area, there is no theatre there. I can’t watch the film unless I rely on piracy.”

On the OTT-versus-theatrical debate, Aamir described the current business model as ‘funny’ and ‘flawed’.

From left: Bollywood film producer Dinesh Vijan, actor Aamir Khan and PVR Founder Ajay Bijli during the session ‘Studios of the Future: Putting India on World Studio Map’ at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 in Mumbai on Friday (May 2, 2025).
| Photo Credit:
PTI

”If I am selling you a product, and if you don’t buy it, I will anyway come and drop it at your home after eight weeks. You have already paid for it (in the form of a subscription). This is the business model we are relying on. According to me, that window is too small. We are killing our own business. In a price-sensitive country like India, this matters a big deal.”

The recent run of Hindi theatrical films has been critcised for its dwindling creativity and innovation, especially when compared to its Malayalam, Tamil or Telugu counterparts. Aamir said that irrespective of the merits of a film, the playing field is not level because of streaming rights.

“Usually, in discussions, people say, ‘We are not making good enough films. That is a separate discussion. Even if we make a very good film, this is a faulty business model.”

The actor-producer emphasised he has ‘nothing against OTT’ as long as they ‘don’t eat into’ the theatrical pie. Recently, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos called the theatrical model an ‘outdated concept’ at a New York summit.

“Mind you, I have nothing against OTT,” Aamir said. “As a consumer, I get to watch thousands of titles for a small fee. It’s a great innovation. As a creative person, If I am making long-format content, I may want to go straight to OTT. Each platform has its own benefit and strengths but they should be used well.“

Aamir praised the NDA-led Union Government for initiating a dialogue on the creativity industry through WAVES.

“I have been around for almost 35 years,” the actor said. “In all these years, I have not seen any government who has ever thought about this. This is the first time that any Government has applied their minds and emotions to do something to empower the media and entertainment industry, and to make us a world leader.”