Searching for the Stars

There was pre-release buzz. It wasn't hype. Rave reviews followed the release. Everyone talked about it. Trade pundits were taken by surprise when the movie started raking in the moola too - thanks largely to good word of mouth publicity. It took me however five weeks to convince myself to watch Taare Zameen Par though - Aamir Khan's directorial debut.

The movie - everyone already knows - is about a dyslexic child. The movie scores because of its new theme, marvelous performance by Darsheel Safary (playing Ishaan, the child protagonist with learning disabilities) and focused story-telling. Since everyone has already spoke how good the movie is I'll restrict myself to what comes naturally to me - criticising and picking holes!

Despite having a new, refreshing story, the script sticks to the old formula. So, Amol Gupte ensures that the script has enough to empty everyone's tear glands. Hindi script-writers still cannot come out of the time-warp they are in - you've succeeded in sensitising the movie-goer ONLY if you've made him/her cry senseless!

It's just Aamir Khan who recognises that the child has dyslexia - and that too because he too had suffered a similar fate in the childhood. The boy's parents are at least upper-middle-class in the movie but they don't know dyslexia. And, they really act as though they're retarded themselves! Ditto teachers, principal and fellow students. It takes one with a disability to understand another! So, a physically challenged Rajan is the only friend (apart from his elder brother) Ishaan can have! That's the saddest part of the movie. All characters in the movie are uni-dimensional. Except of course the lead actors Darsheel and Aamir. Father is permanently sour-faced, mother perennially shedding tears or showing irritation, teachers always ready to give a sound beating. It gets a little tiring.

All this could easily have been forgiven. But for the climax.The movie ends on a happy note. Ishaan makes 'improvement' in learning. Everyone is pleased. That is the most irritating thing. NOBODY changes but the child. Everyone is happy because he becomes or is becoming 'normal'.

Despite all this I still recommend everyone who has NOT seen the movie to go and watch it. I really liked it while it lasted. One last thing. Aamir Khan is really large-hearted. When the credits roll you'll notice that!