Sitaare Zameen Par – Review

quick review:

A film that could’ve been a warm hug misses the chance by being way too preachy, pushy, and Aamir-Khaney. Such golden intent gets lost because it is enamoured by itself.

Review

I’ll go for the low-hanging fruit. There’s a scene in which the coach of a differently-abled basketball team, Gulshan (Aamir Khan), is yelling instructions at a player, asking him to focus hard. After having had enough, the player pretty much yells back, “Sir, shut up!” echoing the exact sentiment I felt for Aamir Khan, “Sir, move the spotlight away from you!!” And I had had enough in the first few minutes.

It’s a shame that that’s my takeaway from a film about such an important topic. Sure, there are some warm, cute, charming scenes when the real protagonists of the film get a moment to be themselves. And how each one of them shines! <3 <3 <3

But, the rest of the film pretty much involves Aamir Khan getting lectured about neurodivergence or him showing us how his character is gaining insight. Both of these would have been wonderful if they were shown, not told.

I understand and appreciate that Gulshan is a representative of how society at large treats people who are “different.” But, was there no other way to do it than making it all about the STAR? It doesn’t help that Aamir Khan’s acting is so on-brand that you even for a frame, you can’t forget who you are watching on screen—the patronising know-it-all.

Sure, on paper, you see episodes with Gulshan realising the shallowness of his thought processes. But, the vibe is that of Aamir Khan knowing his character is going to recover from his follies, which he will soon reveal to the audience. But, as with most films of this genre, the audience knows.

Of course, the climax is a refreshing change—my prediction for the climax of only one out of the three plot points came through. But, that too feels forced. More like the writing process was, “We want the people to know about neurodivergence. We will have the following climax. Let’s put this together in a story even if all we are doing is making the right noises.”

A few of the pieces strung together work. Most don’t. I quite enjoyed the cheeky inclusion of religious and political statements. I also liked how various aspects of bullying, body-shaming, and the idea of inclusivity were brought to the fore, including openness to non-standard relationships. But, these are fragments. The larger tone is that of the audience being taught.

There is some respite with the songs and in episodes like the training montage, the lift scene, and the matches. There’s nothing very fancy going on in any of these—and that is the charm, the simplicity and heart with which they are executed.

I left the theatre with one overwhelming thought, “please tell me, another film on this topic can still be made.” Sure, use the tropes. Of course, create awareness. Absolutely, no need to reinvent the wheel. Just weave the details of the “how”s better, without losing heart while having so much of it.

– meeta, a part of the audience

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