Aamir Khan’s ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ on YouTube sparks outrage as Apple users charged more

Aamir Khan’s bold decision to release his latest film Sitaare Zameen Par directly on YouTube at a wallet-friendly rental of ₹100 was met with widespread applause—until iPhone users discovered they were being charged ₹179 for the same movie. What initially looked like a pricing glitch quickly turned out to be something far more structural: Apple’s app store commission policy.

The film, available on Aamir Khan’s newly launched YouTube channel Aamir Khan Talkies, marks a first-of-its-kind move for a major Bollywood star—bypassing OTT platforms and reaching viewers directly through YouTube’s pay-per-view feature. However, within hours of the release, confusion erupted online as iPhone users reported a sharply higher rental price. Screenshots circulated on social media showing a ₹179 charge on the YouTube app for Apple devices, in contrast to the ₹100 announced by Aamir Khan Productions.

In response, the production house issued a statement acknowledging the discrepancy and assuring users that they were “working on resolving the issue.” But digital economy experts were quick to point out that this so-called glitch had less to do with technical errors and more with Apple's entrenched commission policies.

Under Apple’s global in-app purchase framework, the company takes a 30% cut on all digital transactions processed within iOS apps. To compensate for this fee, platforms like YouTube often adjust their in-app pricing on Apple devices—raising the cost of subscriptions, rentals, and purchases. This means the same product, when bought via an iPhone app, often ends up costing significantly more than if purchased through a desktop or Android device.

A similar discrepancy exists with YouTube Premium, which is priced at ₹149 on Android and browser interfaces but jumps to ₹195 on iOS. This pricing pattern, while known to some digital-savvy users, has come as a rude surprise to many of Aamir’s fans who expected transparent and uniform access to his new release.

To avoid paying the inflated amount, users are being informally advised to rent the film using a desktop or mobile browser, where the ₹100 price remains intact. Once rented, the movie can still be viewed across devices—including iPhones—without restriction. YouTube’s rental policy gives viewers 30 days to begin watching and 48 hours to finish the film once playback starts.

This incident has reignited conversations about platform-driven markups and the invisible "Apple tax" that users pay simply based on the device they use. While creators like Aamir Khan are striving to democratize cinema access by offering affordable and direct-to-consumer options, their efforts are still subject to the digital infrastructure and policies of global tech giants.