‘Taare Zameen Par’ (2007) that was a poignant portrayal of the struggle of an autistic child and the parents trying to cope, till a teacher shows the right path, left us deeply moved, tugging at the heartstrings. After two decades, Aamir Khan has again dealt with the similar subject of intellectually challenged young people but this time the experience is joyful, funny and heartwarming and replete with social messaging like the ‘normal’ of persons with such disabilities is different from our ‘normal’ – that we must understand !
Remarkable is the delightful way the theme and principal characters have been handled with sensitivity yet at no point forcefully evoking the sympathy factor for such disabled persons. It focuses on their spirit of team bonding and uncanny wisdom they show in finding joy in life’s most basic activities. No spoilers on how the plot unfolds and you join laughing with mirth. Suffice to mention it’s an official remake of the 2018 Spanish film ‘Champions’, and follows a suspended basketball coach who must serve community service by helping a team of players with disabilities prepare for a tournament.
On the performances, one must credit Director RS Prasanna for bringing out sparkingly natural portrayals from the group of young boys and one girl (who’s quite brilliant) who demonstrate startling intelligence along with amusing acts on many occasions that zaps the overconfident Coach, played by Aamir with customary panache. There’s a gradual transformation from a sullen, uncaring person with a callous attitude to people, into a realization that there’s so much to learn as human beings from one’s who’re challenged.
Special mention must be made of Genelia who as Aamir’s dependable wife is refreshing & charming and brings the right balance to role, if one isn’t too picky about her accent. There are interesting characters like Paaji played by Gurpal Singh who actually lets the Coach into the amazing world of intellectually disabled, all with different backgrounds. Dolly Ahluwalia as Coach’s Mom is fun – irreverently teasing her son about his height.
On a personal note, the film was reminiscent of my all time favourite childhood film – ‘To Sir With Love’ where a black school teacher (Sidney Poitier) fights racial bias as he sets out to reform a bunch of unruly, delinquent white kids into decent human beings. ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ isn’t such a classic – but it’s must see on the big screen for the feel good family values & social awareness. For others, it’s an exciting ‘Sports’ film too !
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