Review Taare Zameen Par : An Impressive Directorial Debut

Years went by trying to understand my problem; a state of confusion and many a times chaos. Coming to terms with a disorder that I could have had but no way of testing it positive thereby no remedial for it. Hard work and determination always persisted but the end result forever remained a disappointment. Loneliness being my good friend and batch mates there just to make a mockery of my little brains.

Frankly speaking I wasn’t all that excited to watch Aamir Khan’s directorial debut Taare Zameen Par – coming face to face with a difficult past isn’t all that exciting after all. But as they say in friendship there are no ifs & buts and therefore on the persistence of my darling friend, I decided to chuck my apprehensions aside and take a step which I otherwise wouldn’t have bothered.

Without giving much of the plot away, here’s what Taare Zameen Par is all about.

Eshaan Awasthi being the key character suffers from dyslexia and therefore suffers miserably at school. Due to his lack of performance in studies, he is constantly nagged by his parents, taunted by classmates and even bullied by older children. His doting mother spent time over his betterment but couldn’t comply with the difficulties of coping with a dyslexic child since she had no clue what little Eshaan was going through.

Finally one day his parents decide to send him to boarding, thinking this to be the only viable option available for an improvement. And that’s where Eshaan meets Ram Shankar Nikumbh, a temporary art teacher at school who is determined to help him, at any cost.

If I have to talk about the flaws, Taare Zameen Par has abundant. For instance, the subject of Dyslexia is quite outdated considering many schools across India, today have special classes running to help students with this disorder. Ram Shankar Nikumbh as a character came across slightly exaggerated. Second half of the film is quite predictable.

However despite the drawbacks, I would still highly recommend this film to all for the following reasons.

1. Though I may not like Aamir Khan, the family man (??) I have to admit only a man with his heart in the right place could have managed to deal with such a subject as sensitively as shown in the film.

2. Darsheel Safary as Eshaan Awasthi is very impressive. The mischief in his eyes and a determination to throw back at the world the same shit that he experiences is awesome and at times heart wrenching.

3. Tisca Chopra as Eshaan’s mum has done a commendable job. A very controlled and convincing portrayal.

4. Despite being a superstar and the director, Aamir doesn’t over expose his character and thereby remains faithful to the story at hand.

5. Good use of animation, which in turn interprets a young mind’s imagination.

The thing is children like Eshaan need special care, attention and supportive family members/friends in their lives to cope with dyslexia, which he found in Ram, a trained professional who lends time in molding a better life for Eshaan.

Dyslexia is a learning disability which manifests in different people differently. It’s a friction between the brain and the action it is just about to make. The cause is hereditary which is why one cannot help being dyslexic. Taare Zameen Par may not be an eye-opener but it surely touches ones emotional side on many different levels.

Never thought I would utter praising words but seriously, kudos to Mr. Aamir Khan for a heartwarming directorial debut.