The industry is in a celebratory mode as Sitaare Zameen Par has collected nearly Rs. 55-60 crores in its opening weekend. Amusingly, there was concern about the film’s prospects as the advance wasn’t up to the mark. The opening collections of Rs. 10.70 crores were fine but below par for one of the most significant films of the year. However, the unthinkable happened on Saturday. The ticket sales picked up dramatically. The Day 2 collections amounted to Rs. 19.90 crores, due to which the trade and industry were in disbelief. For a film to open in double digits and then jump by 86% on a Saturday is unheard of, especially in the post-pandemic era.
Many predicted that when Saturday’s jump was so huge, Sunday’s growth would be minimal. And yet again, all predictions went out of the window as the film’s collections increased yet again to nearly Rs. 28-30 crores on its third day. With such trending, it’s clear that Sitaare Zameen Par will also have a strong Monday.
There have been several films that have enjoyed strong word of mouth, but no film has trended like Sitaare Zameen Par. A major reason behind it is the association of superstar Aamir Khan. Yes, the film had a low opening, possibly because the trailer and the songs didn’t click as intended. There was a wait-and-watch scenario for the moviegoers. But as soon as the reviews and audience reactions from the initial shows started pouring in, it became clear that Sitaare Zameen Par has substance. And more importantly, it belongs to the ‘Aamir Khan zone’—that is, the kind of cinema that not just entertains but also consists of content that can make society a better place. It’s a genre that has a lot of takers.
That’s the goodwill and credibility that Aamir Khan has achieved in the last two decades. It began with Taare Zameen Par (2007). It made the whole country aware of a condition called dyslexia. As a result, it changed the lives of several kids for the better. 3 Idiots (2009), meanwhile, made a strong comment on the education system, and it’s no wonder that even foreign audiences could relate to it. One of the biggest lessons it imparted was ‘Success ke peeche mat bhaago. Excellence ka peecha karo. Success jhak maar ke tumhare peeche aayegi.’ It’s a mantra that Aamir Khan has been following too. Hence, he’s living proof of how this lesson can pay dividends.
PK (2014) became controversial, but one can’t deny that it was an important film of our times, exposing godmen. Two years later, he gave the world the classic Dangal (2016), a tale of a father going all out to ensure his daughters became expert wrestlers.
The credibility he achieved through all these films has helped him with Sitaare Zameen Par, when he needed it the most. After all, the film is everything that a post-pandemic biggie typically isn’t. It’s a remake, which has now become a risky proposition. There was a lot of criticism over the film being a remake, though it’s another matter that 99% of the trolls had not even seen the original version. Secondly, its genre is not the flavour of the season—that is, it is neither action nor horror-comedy. The music failed big time. On top of it, he made a risky decision of not selling the film’s OTT rights and instead, toying with the idea of releasing the film on YouTube, that too after more than 8 weeks. And let’s not forget that his recent films were debacles.
Yet, Aamir Khan has succeeded—and how. Somewhere, the audience also realized that here is a man who’s given us quality cinema for years. He is not following the herd mentality and instead, he is backing content that he believes in. Sure, they took some time to come on board, but once they finally did, they came out in hordes.
Thankfully, Aamir Khan is not the only one in the industry in this category. Another top actor who comes to mind is Akshay Kumar. In the last 12–13 years, he has gone to another level, and it began with OMG Oh My God (2012). It came before PK and was the first film to speak about the misuse and commercialization of religion.
With Airlift (2016), he brought to the fore an untold chapter of modern Indian history. Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017) stressed the importance of sanitation, while Pad Man (2018) brought a taboo subject into mainstream cinema.
Post-pandemic, he continued his endeavour. OMG 2 was based on a risky idea. But again, the audience understood the intention, and it became a hit. Mission Raniganj (2023), Sarfira (2024), and Kesari Chapter 2 (2025) were about unsung heroes and received a lot of accolades.
From classrooms awakened by Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par to the toilets built after Akshay Kumar’s Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, these two superstars have turned the multiplex into a megaphone for social change. Aamir’s meticulous, once-in-a-blue-moon approach and Akshay’s relentless, issue-driven velocity form Bollywood’s double-engine of conscience and commerce. Together, they prove that box-office thunder gets even louder when it strikes a chord with the soul, making every ticket sold a tiny step toward a smarter, stronger, more compassionate India.
The post Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar – two pillars of purposeful cinema in an era chasing formulas; Sitaare Zameen Par, 3 Idiots, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Pad Man, etc are living proofs appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
