I am not exactly sure if it's a good idea to post a movie review on a blog. But I love movies and I love writing about them so I have decided that from time to time I'll post something from the movie world as well. For the simple fact is can't live without movies. And my blog is not going to go without anyhing from the movie world either. So here goes.
It's not very often that Bollywood springs such a pleasant surprise on you. Though Aamir Khan seems to do it everytime he comes up with a movie, the truth is there have been very few movies from the world of Bollywood that we actually take with us to our homes and can't seem to get our minds off it. So when a movie like that does come, you know it's time to celebrate. Taare Zameen Par is one such rare movie.
Only Aamir Khan could pull this off. Only he could take the reins of a movie which could be as far removed from the bollywood commercial formula as possible, make his entry on screen only at the interval mark, deprive the movie of almost all Bollywood cliches including a leading lady and yet manage to give one of the year's biggest hits. Other super stars would immediately wash their hands off such a project which would lead to a supremely talented but immensely ignored Sanjay Suri being cast and the movie would bomb. But Aamir Khan not only chooses to greenlight the project as an actor but takes over the production reins as well and then decide to make this same film as his directorial debut. And what a debut it is!
As the movie begins, you are seeped into the life of Ishaan Awasthi, a 9 year old child full of dreams, yet somehow unable to make the world understand his dilemma. He may not be very good academically but there's no doubt that he has a superior talent. For one thing, our young Ishaan has one hell of an imagination. Yet the world refuses to see his talent or understand his problems. Fed up of his constantly failing in exams, Ishaan's father decides that the only way left to improve Ishaan is to ship him off to boarding school where he can be disciplined properly. But separated from his mother and his protective surrondings (echoed beautifully in the song 'Maa'), Ishaan only goes deeper into his shell ad shuts out the world completely. Until a new art teacher, Ram(Aamir Khan) makes his entry and decides to change all that.
It's not very often that Bollywood springs such a pleasant surprise on you. Though Aamir Khan seems to do it everytime he comes up with a movie, the truth is there have been very few movies from the world of Bollywood that we actually take with us to our homes and can't seem to get our minds off it. So when a movie like that does come, you know it's time to celebrate. Taare Zameen Par is one such rare movie.
Only Aamir Khan could pull this off. Only he could take the reins of a movie which could be as far removed from the bollywood commercial formula as possible, make his entry on screen only at the interval mark, deprive the movie of almost all Bollywood cliches including a leading lady and yet manage to give one of the year's biggest hits. Other super stars would immediately wash their hands off such a project which would lead to a supremely talented but immensely ignored Sanjay Suri being cast and the movie would bomb. But Aamir Khan not only chooses to greenlight the project as an actor but takes over the production reins as well and then decide to make this same film as his directorial debut. And what a debut it is!
As the movie begins, you are seeped into the life of Ishaan Awasthi, a 9 year old child full of dreams, yet somehow unable to make the world understand his dilemma. He may not be very good academically but there's no doubt that he has a superior talent. For one thing, our young Ishaan has one hell of an imagination. Yet the world refuses to see his talent or understand his problems. Fed up of his constantly failing in exams, Ishaan's father decides that the only way left to improve Ishaan is to ship him off to boarding school where he can be disciplined properly. But separated from his mother and his protective surrondings (echoed beautifully in the song 'Maa'), Ishaan only goes deeper into his shell ad shuts out the world completely. Until a new art teacher, Ram(Aamir Khan) makes his entry and decides to change all that.
From the very first scene, Aamir Khan the director makes his presence felt. As a young Ishaan collects fish from a pond while other kids around him are playing, it's clear what this child is going through. And it's clear that we are watching a very special movie.
Taare Zameen Par is a very simple movie. And perhaps that's where the brilliance of Aamir Khan lies. Instead of taking a movie where he could have blown off cars ala Sanjay Gadhvi and use different color for different places like Sanjay Gupta or make a 60 crore studio movie where 30 crore is invested only in art direction ala Sanjay Leela Bhansali(too many sanjay's huh?), Aamir Khan just decides to trust his diretorial talent to get through as he picks up a movie where he couldn't flash how good he is technically behind the camera but what a wonderful story teller he is. And he's a gem of a story teller.
All of us would have related to Ishaan's character at some point. No, not because anyone of us is dyslexic or we are poor students but because most of us at some pont or the other have felt that our dreams have been crushed by our parents for a safer world. And when Aamir Khan makes that rousing speech about how each parent only wants a ranker in his house and nothing less that an engineer, doctor or management will do, you felt as if a part of your life was being played on screen. It's a scene of glorious truth as this is true in almose every household today. And Aamir Khan's acting only makes it that much more hard hittng.
Infact there are so many scenes which rankles you up. The entire maa song is one of them where most of us would have wept buckets. Another fantastic scene is when Ishaan is on the phone with his mother and doesn't speak a word. That silence spoke volumes about what Ishaan was going through. Aamir Khan's visit to Ishaan's parents and then his speech about what caring means to a child to Ishaan's father, both scenes were of stupendous quality. And then the fantastic climax where you couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. And by the end you just want to bow your head down in respect of the genius that is Aamir Khan.
Whether it be Shankaar-Ehsaan-Loy's soundtrack or Amole Gupte's script, almost everything falls into its place in Taare Zameen Par with Darsheel Safary as the young Ishaan the star of the show. He deserves a national award for his performance. Tisca Chopra as the mother is rivetting. She's a delight to watch and here's hoping that Bollywood doesn't ignore this fantastic talent. Aamir Khan, well-is there anything else left to say that hasn't been said about him before? This is his movie from the first frame to the last and if anything he has made the best directorial debut since Aditya Chopra had helmed Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Here's hoping that unlike Mr Chopra, Aamir Khan doesn't lose himself and continues to give us movies which we all can say proudly was made in India.
Taare Zameen Par is a rare gem in this galaxy. Missing it would be nothing short of a crime.
Rating: ****1/2
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