Monday, December 31, 2007

Movie review: taare zameen par (तारे ज़मीन पर)

well, today, i had the opportunity to go check out this much talked about movie.... all the publicity has been making it look really awesome.... so i thought i would go see if it really is all that....

just to give you a quick run down, it is a brilliant movie directed by aamir khan who also happens to play a role in the film. the film is a story of Ishaan Awasthi, An eight-year old dyslexic child who has difficulties in reading, writing and understanding letters, words and sentences. His world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate; colours, fish, dogs and kites are just not important in the world of adults, who are much more interested in things like homework, marks and neatness. And Ishaan just cannot seem to get anything right in class. For that he gets punished every time.

When he gets into far more trouble than his parents can handle, he is packed off to a boarding school to ‘be disciplined’. Things are no different at his new school, and Ishaan has to contend with the added trauma of separation from his family.

One day a new art teacher Ram Shankar Nikumbh (aamir khan) bursts onto the scene, who infects the students with joy and optimism. Nikumbh soon realizes that Ishaan is very unhappy, and he sets out to discover why.

Yes, that’s the story of the film…. But the film is more than the story per se. The film belongs to the performances of Aamir as the ultra-sensitive art teacher who was dyslexic himself and sees his own image in the child. It belongs to Tisca Chopra’s portrayal of the mother who loves her child and is exasperated with him in equal measure.

However, more than anything, it belongs to Darsheel Safary as Ishan, who silently conveys turmoil, glee, wonder, anger and carries the film on the strength of his performance alone.

At that level, it is a intensely human film that tells us a very human story.No item numbers, no heroine, no songs in Switzerland. And it works ! Bravo, Aamir Khan, producer, director and actor of “Taare Zameen Par” ! In fact, the only drawbacks in the movie were the caricatures of some characters, like Mr. Awasthi, the father, and the boarding school teachers (who apart from Aamir Khan, are made to look like either buffoons or cruel sadists). The high achieving elder brother however, is not a caricature, thankfully !

Some facts about this movie:

Taare Zameen Par opened with 425 prints across India. The initial Box Office response was low the film quickly picked up due to strong positive review from both critics & audience. The Director Aamir Khan has posted in his official website that he's been informed by the movie distribution team of PVR that this movie is headed for the biggest grosser of the year.

IndiaFM has awarded the movie 4 out of 5 reels saying "TAARE ZAMEEN PAR isn't one of those films that merely entertains, but also enlightens." and "On the whole, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR is an outstanding work of cinema. To miss it would be sacrilege. It has everything it takes to win awards and box-office rewards!". The gross first week collection of TZP is INR 16 Crore in India

Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN has stated "Taare Zameen Par may change your life" giving it a positive review.


I loved this movie. Its the sort of movie which anyone can relate to on a personal level... and it will definately bring tears to your eyes atleast once..... so i would score this movie 9 out of 10.

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