A smart pay-per-view model could reshape film distribution economics

In a recent interview with this newspaper, actor and filmmaker Aamir Khan said that his latest movie would release on YouTube’s pay-per-view (PPV) platform at ₹100, a move that signals a potential shift in how India consumes cinema. While Mr Khan’s film earned over ₹250 crore in theatres, it reached only 2-3 per cent of the population. According to a study by Cinemaprofile.com, around 70 per cent of theatres nationwide are located in South India and Maharashtra, leaving large parts of the Hindi heartland underserved. The Ficci-EY M&E Report 2025 further highlighted this imbalance, noting a 17 per cent growth