Good Start for Sitaare Zameen Par: On Day 1, Aamir Khan’s Feel Good Drama Earns About ₹11 Crore
Bollywood’s “Mr. Perfectionist” is back, and early numbers suggest the audience was ready for him. On Friday, June 20, 2025, Aamir Khan’s first theatrical film in three years, Sitaare Zameen Par, hit theaters and left with a healthy first-day take that is in the double digits. According to trade portal Sacnilk, the film collected an estimated ₹11.05 crore on opening day, finishing Friday with a respectable all India occupancy of roughly 17.7% and peaking above 20 % during the evening shows, hindustantimes.com.
Not every tracker has settled on the exact same figure—the inevitable push and pull of reporting based on advances, sample collections and late night shows. The Indian Express’s early estimate placed day one earnings at ₹8.77 crore, while Koimoi’s trend analysis pegged the range slightly higher, between ₹11–12 crore, calling it 2025’s sixth best Bollywood opener so far. Meanwhile a live box office blog at The Times of India noted that Sacnilk’s rolling tally had already crossed ₹11.5 crore by late Friday night. Even with this spread, the consensus is clear: the film has comfortably cleared the psychologically important double digit mark.
A measured debut—but better than the forecasts
In the run up to release, most trade pundits were playing it safe, predicting a ₹7–8 crore start for the RS Prasanna directed comedy drama. Veteran analyst Taran Adarsh even cautioned that the film was “a word of mouth movie, not a Dhoom or a Ghajini” and would therefore open modestly. Beating those forecasts by 30–40 % is an encouraging sign—especially after Aamir’s last outing, Laal Singh Chaddha, stumbled out of the gate with ₹11.7 crore and never really recovered.
Where the tickets sold—and where they didn’t
Early occupancy data paints a familiar metropolitan picture: multiplexes in Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru and Pune did the heavy lifting, while single screens and smaller centres were more sluggish. Friday’s overall occupancy of 17.73 % may sound low, but for a content forward family entertainer releasing outside a holiday corridor, it is solid. Crucially, evening footfalls climbed to just over 20 %, indicating good walk in traction once word spread about the film’s feel good vibe.
The film behind the numbers
Sitaare Zameen Par presents itself as a “spiritual sequel” as opposed to a direct sequel to Taare Zameen Par from 2007.Where the earlier classic focused on one dyslexic boy, this new chapter shines a spotlight on an entire basketball team of children with intellectual disabilities—an idea adapted from the celebrated Spanish crowd pleaser Campeones. Aamir plays the flawed yet endearing coach alongside Genelia D’Souza, while ten debutant actors steal the scenes as the titular “stars.”
Director RS Prasanna (Shubh Mangal Saavdhan) keeps the tone breezy, lacing the inspirational beats with broad comedy and a rousing sports film payoff. Early reviews have praised the film’s “collective laughter and silent sniffles” atmosphere, the kind that blossoms in a packed auditorium—good news for exhibitors hoping the title translates into sustained family footfalls through the week.
How the opener stacks up in 2025
Koimoi’s running chart puts Sitaare Zameen Par sixth among 2025’s Hindi openers, behind big ticket tent poles like Sikandar and Housefull 5, but ahead of mid range performers such as Jaat and Deva. It’s worth noting that Sikandar roared out of the blocks with ₹26 crore, thanks to Eid festivities; Sitaare arrives in a non holiday window, so apples to apples comparisons can be misleading.
The road ahead: weekend growth is key
For a content oriented film, Friday numbers are only half the story. Positive social media chatter—and a wave of heartfelt “must watch with kids” posts—should translate into stronger Saturday and Sunday curves. Trade watchers will be eyeing the crucial ₹35 crore weekend milestone; hitting that would put Sitaare Zameen Par firmly on course for a steady run, helped by the absence of another major Hindi release until early July.
Verdict so far
Is this the thunderous comeback some fans expected from Aamir Khan after a three year sabbatical? Perhaps not. But given tempered pre release buzz and stiff competition from holdover hits, a double digit start feels like a quietly confident return to form. More important, the film’s inclusive theme and word of mouth momentum give it the legs to keep climbing—exactly the trajectory that turned Taare Zameen Par into a modern classic 18 years ago.
If the weekend jump materialises, we may soon be talking less about first day digits and more about a sleeper success story. Watch this space for the final, audited figures on Monday—but for now, Bollywood can celebrate the arrival of yet another bunch of bright little “sitaare” lighting up the box office sky.
