Taare Zameen Par
~ Fatima Quadri’ 11
Are you tired of typical Bollywood movies? You know, the ones where lovers sing in the rain and overcome dire obstacles in order for their two week love to prevail in the end. Well here’s your chance to watch something different, and in my opinion, even better. Taare Zameen Par, India’s Best Foreign Film submission to the Oscars last year, breaks away from the usual musical romantic bollywood flicks and focuses on a touching story about a delightfully adorable child.
The main protagonist of the film is an eight to nine year old boy, Ishaan Awasthi. Ishaan seems like an average child except one notices early on that he’s not so strong in the academic field. Ishaan is going through third grade for the second time and life isn’t easier for the kid when nearly everyone compares him to his overachiever older brother. It also doesn’t help that he gets into all kinds of trouble both in and out of school. However Ishaan finds solace in his comforting mother and his vivid imagination which he recreates in his paintings. However once his parents see the possibility of Ishaan of repeating the third grade again, his father decides to send him to boarding school so he can control his intolerable behavior and learn discipline. Ishaan, overcome with grief due to homesickness and lack of academic improvement, delves into a heart wrenching depression. However, some time passes by and a new art teacher is introduced to the school as a breath of fresh air from the monotony of the boarding school and to pull Ishaan out of his depression and make him shine.
I’m a fan of simple stories, which is why I was drawn to this movie in the first place. It’s a simple story about an average kid with a common problem and how he overcomes it with the help of someone who genuinely cares. It’s very easy to follow and get drawn into thanks to both the screenplay and the characters themselves. Another thing I liked about this film was the lack of big named actors with the exception of Aamir Khan. Nearly all the characters were flawless; some of my favorites were Ishaan’s mother (played by Tisca Chopra, who couldn’t have been better in this role) and Rajan, Ishaan’s best friend at boarding school (played by Tanay Chheda). Khan shines as the compassionate art teacher, and doesn’t even look bad with a mini faux hawk. However it’s Darsheel Safary (who plays Ishaan), who steals the movie. He carries the first half all too well, and I personally wish I saw him on screen and speaking more in the second half (mainly dominated by Khan) but at the same time I admire him to still be able to tug on the audience’s heartstrings with few appearances and even fewer words. His actions alone in the climatic scene towards the end can spark teary eyes. I applaud Khan for a great directorial debut; he was always seen as an amazing actor in Bollywood, but he shows signs of being a talented director as well. The movie overall is worth seeing for Khan’s directing (and faux hawk), the actors’ performances, the cute Tanay Chheda, and the overall story and the message it sends.
I hope to see more movies such as Taare Zameen Par in the future of Indian cinema. It’s highly recommended for people who want to take a break from typical bollywood, for people who love children and even more for people who don’t like children. Overall, it’s a magical movie you don’t want to pass up.