Sitaare Zameen Par Box-Office Day 1: Aamir Khan’s Latest Opens With INR 11.50 Crore, Lower Than His Flop Lal Singh Chaddha

Aamir Khan finally showed up on the big screen after almost three years, starring in Sitaare Zameen Par. This was supposed to be huge, right?

But honestly, the film’s opening day numbers were kinda underwhelming. Early estimates from Sacnilk.com put it at about ₹11.50 crore nett in India for Friday, June 19. Not bad, but for an Aamir comeback? Not exactly fireworks.

You’d think with Aamir’s name slapped on the poster and all the hype, the cash registers would be ringing off the hook. Nope. The movie, a Hindi sports drama, limped in with just 21.43% occupancy across India on its first day.

Morning shows were at 16.74%, dipping even lower in the afternoon (16.25%) before things perked up a bit in the evening, hitting 20.21%. So yeah, not exactly a stampede to the theatres.

How’s It Stack Up? Let’s Talk Numbers

If you’re one for the stats, here’s some context. Sitaare Zameen Par didn’t even manage to beat Aamir’s last film, Laal Singh Chadha, which clocked ₹11.7 crore on day one back in 2022.

And if you look at what Salman Khan’s Sikandar just pulled off (a cool ₹26 crore opening), well… let’s just say Aamir’s got some catching up to do. The audience wasn’t exactly scrambling for tickets.

Coach Aamir and His Special Team

So what’s the movie about? Aamir’s playing a basketball coach, but here’s the twist: his team is made up of specially-abled players. The film’s going for that emotional, inspirational vibe—sort of a spiritual cousin to Taare Zameen Par from 2007, but it’s got its own storyline and tone. You get the feeling they really want you to reach for the tissues.

Director RS Prasanna went all-in on new talent for this one. The movie introduces ten newcomers—Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra, and Simran Mangeshkar.

And if you’re thinking this plot sounds familiar, you’re not wrong. It’s an official remake of the Spanish film Campeones, which also centered around sports, resilience, and a bit of heart.

Critics: Warm Fuzzies, But Not Exactly a Masterpiece

So what’s the verdict? Well, the Hindustan Times called it “heartfelt”—the kind of movie you want to watch with a crowd, apparently for the shared sniffles and chuckles. Is it as iconic as Taare Zameen Par?

Nah, not really. But it does try hard to tug at the heartstrings, and it’s got sincerity in spades. If you want your feels, you’ll probably get ‘em. If you want box office fireworks, maybe not this time.