Movie Review: Aamir Khan's 'Sitare Zameen Par' is heartfelt but too simplistic

Khaleej Times

20-06-2025

The year was 2007. Amid the glut of masala, action oriented and romantic films that dominated the scene, Bollywood produced an unconventional gem — a story of a child suffering from dyslexia, misunderstood by everyone until a kind-hearted teacher (Ram, played by Aamir Khan) helps him bloom. Taare Zameen Par (TZP) was an unlikely movie to come out of cliche-ridden Bollywood but went on to become a huge hit, sparking conversations and triggering emotions. What worked? Its straight-from-the-heart story, beautiful music and incredible performances.
Cut to 2025. Amid a glut of OTT action and fantasy disasters, foolish horror comedies and bad historicals, comes another unconventional film — focusing on people of determination, their joys, lives and laughter. Given the all-pervading doom and gloom in our world today, a piece of cinematic art that spotlights kindness, humanity and simplicity should be a refreshing change. And considering the utter lack of creativity from mainstream Hindi cinema, a wholesome, positive film should be the perfect antidote to our numbed-by-mediocrity sensibilities. But does Sitare Zameen Par (SZP) serve that purpose? The answer: Sometimes yes, but mostly no.
There is no doubt that SZP is TZP' s spiritual sister with Aamir and the sensitive storyline being the common factors. The biggest plus point: the theme and choice of cast. In a film starring one of Hindi cinema's biggest stars and other veterans, the spotlight rightly shines on a group of sassy, neurodivergent actors who win your heart with their charm and spunk. The industry is notorious for its utter lack of inclusivity but SZP is that rare film that walks the talk. So kudos to the bold step!
However, is that enough? What made TZP special was its organic approach to the subject that made us empathise and be part of Ishan Awasthy — the dyslexia-afflicted child's — frustrations and triumphs. SZP unfortunately fails to do the same. You applaud it, you sympathise with the characters, you understand where they come from but you end up doing so from the periphery. It's like attending a TEDx Talk on how to view and interact with neurodivergent individuals albeit with a bit of humour and a sprinkling of drama.
Aamir plays Gulshan, an arrogant basketball junior coach who rubs his seniors the wrong way, has an extended tiff with his wife (Genelia) and is caught drunk driving all on the same night. As punishment, he is recommended community service which includes training a group of basketball players on the spectrum for a national level competition. Predictably, he is out of sorts and meets them with a bunch of prejudices, but even more predictably, they end up transforming his attitudes, he gets his concepts of mental health sorted, makes up with his wife and emerges a new person.
Another point that deserves special mention: while it has a do-or-die basketball final match in the climax, the result is far from what you expect. And perhaps this is the film's most important message — that empathy, kindness and understanding need not be defined by success or failure in a race or contest, nor should people be judged on the basis of the results they achieve. Just showing up is sometimes enough.
However, despite all these green flags, if SZP falls short in satisfying the cinephile in you, it's due to its treatment. The empathy feels overly manufactured, the messaging too on-the-nose, the life lessons sound like they're lifted from Instagram captions and the lead character's self-realisation is spelled out a little too clearly. What if we were allowed to f-e-e-l and absorb instead? While it's commendable that the screenplay avoids emotional manipulation through sob stories or dramatising the team's and their families' struggles, it also fails to let the emotions emerge naturally. In one instance, a character explains to Gulshan the symptoms of those on the spectrum, the role of chromosomes and how everyone has their own version of 'normal". Though well-meaning, the scene feels too explanatory and obvious. When he finally realises where he went wrong, he says aloud, 'I used to be so selfish, I never looked at others' perspectives…these children changed me…' Yes, we saw that!
Director R.S. Prasanna, working off a script by Divi Nidhi Sharma and adapted from the Spanish drama Campeones, takes a super-linear route though he is determined to keep it sunny and funny which doesn't always work. Perhaps, it's because most sequences are designed to preach. When a character calls someone 'Parsi', he is immediately corrected by another - 'he has a name'. A truly funny scene involving a close friendship between Dolly Singh Ahluwalia (playing Gulshan's mother) and Brijendra Kala comes with a message of accepting senior citizen relationships. It's like everyone is bent on reforming Gulshan and teaching him lessons on acceptance!
Of course, the 'beaten down coach finding meaning to his life training a bunch of apparent no-hopers' is the oldest trope in motivational films but they could make engaging cinema if handled adeptly. SZP gets the ingredients right but the end recipe is bland. Blame it on the simplistic lens with which it presents every problem and solution. Just the right intentions do not make for entertaining cinema so while you may pat its objectives on the back it may not enthuse you watch it again.
Surprisingly, part of the problem lies with Aamir Khan himself. Several scenes feel like affectionate nods to his iconic past — a chase sequence set to Delhi Belly 's ' DK Bose", a lyrical reference to his famous Papa Kehte Hain, and a Hum Jeet Gaye roar at the end of a match, reminiscent of Lagaan. But these callbacks don't translate into a compelling performance. The otherwise brilliant actor appears stuck in a familiar loop — head-scratching, wide-eyed, mouth-agape expressions that echo his over-the-top portrayal in Laal Singh Chaddha. His Gulshan feels like a blend of Ram (Taare Zameen Par), Rancho (3 Idiots) and Laal (Laal Singh Chaddha), with little evolution or variation. While his sincerity and belief in the film's message deserve all the plaudits, the performance itself feels overly rehearsed and self-conscious — ironically, the very opposite of what Gulshan is meant to be. Comparatively, his co-stars — Genelia (Bollywood deserves more of her!) and Dolly Singh Ahluwalia (remember her in Vicky Donor and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani?) are natural and fit in the milieu well.
But all said and done, let's give Aamir Khan credit where it's due — making a truly inclusive film and introducing a new bunch of actors. Remember the names of the 'sitaaras' — Ayush Bhansali, Simran Mangeshkar, Ashish Pendse, Rishabh Jain, Rishi Shahani, Aroush Dutta, Vedant Sharma, Samvit Desai and Naman Sharma. They restore your faith in humanity even if the cinematic world they perform in falls short.