NEW DELHI, April 2 -- Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par is set to stream on SonyLIV after an initial one-time rental on YouTube, as industry experts assess the prospects of pay-per-view (transaction video-on-demand or TVoD) in India's evolving film market. The model, long popular in the West, remains experimental here, they said, as audiences increasingly expect films to be available for home viewing within four to six weeks, often free or bundled on subscription OTT platforms.

Khan's move highlights a key tension in the industry: while TVoD offers a direct monetization route, its commercial viability is uncertain compared with assured OTT deals. Sign-ups and log-ins for YouTube rentals, along with the niche appeal of pay-per-view, have li...