Review of Like Stars on Earth (2007) by Morgan C — 16 Nov 2018

Taare Zameen Par is a movie produced by Hindi Cinema that absolutely tugs on the heart strings of the audience. As a fan of Bollywood films, I have to say that this particularly movie has many qualities not often seen in Bollywood films. Taare Zameen Par, roughly translated to 'Like Stars on Earth", is a heartwarming film produced and directed by Aamir Khan that depicts the struggles of a 8 year old boy that struggles academically. I am not ashamed to say I shed tears of both sadness and happiness watching Ishaan, played by Darsheel Safary, struggle and overcome his learning disability. I believe this film allows for open conversations about learning disabilities such as dyslexia and shows the range of emotions that those who are affected experience. Another Bollywood film that I think had similar goals is "My Name is Khan" directed by directed by Karan Johar that stars Shah Rukh Khan playing a muslim man that has Asperger's Syndrome. My Name is Khan quickly became a worldwide phenomenon for the message that it is telling. One of the biggest similarities I saw between the two films is the internal struggle both the main characters face. Neither want to be discriminated by their peers because they are different, and neither realize that their differences allow for their special abilities to shine.

As I mentioned early, I believe Taare Zameen Par is a Bollywood movie that is easily differentiable from the typical Bollywood film. Taare Zameen Par can fall under the category of a Multiplex film. Rachel Dwyer says in her article Somewhat Different that multiplex films are more realistic than your typical Bollywood film and are significantly less melodramatic. Another point she makes is that multiplex films have a more clear narrative that most Bollywood films. In Taare Zameen Par, there are not multiple storylines that merge into one, but rather the whole film follows Ishaan on his emotional educational journey. Taare Zameen Par is an unbelievably realistic film and Aamir Khan is able to phenomenally depict the emotions that a child with a learning disability feels. Another way Taare Zameen Par sets itself apart from the typical Bollywood film is seen in the songs in the movie. Unlike many Bollywood films, the songs are not accompanied by outrageous dance scenes or non diegetic scenes.