'Time to introduce new window for audiences'

When my back was against the wall, when I was at my lowest, I had the conviction to say no to something that I didn't believe in. That gave me the strength to take all the difficult decisions that I took in my career after that

- HT Correspondent

It's time for a new approach to movies, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan said, speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Saturday.

That would be another new approach; Khan, 60, has been the happy disruptor in Hindi cinema, changing how things are done for about four decades.

One such change, early on, was his decision to do one film a year, at a time when stars prided themselves on doing dozens. He would make his one film count, he decided. (And, of course, he did)

This time around, it's the options for access that must change, he said on Saturday. It is time "to introduce a new window for audiences, and one more avenue of earning for the producer".

The window he's referring to would be a pay-per-view stage for major releases, after the theatrical run-and before the film becomes available to all subscribers of a streaming platform.

The pay-per-view stage is a model he experimented with on a recent release, Sitaare Zameen Par (2025).

"With Sitaare... it was very moving to see the reaction of audiences, especially those who are neuro-atypical or people with disabilities and their loved ones," he said, smiling. As for the model of a "new window", that would require widespread support in order to take root. "I think if the industry can collectively create this window, it will be helpful for all of us," Khan said.