Tare Zameen Par
wogma rating: Owner's Pride! (?)
Classy and charming. Composed and elegant. Aamir Khan delivers his first baby with élan. The hard labor shows in a compassionate portrayal of a sensitive issue.
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How can one not love a movie about children crafted with utmost compassion - children with special needs at that? But, is that the only reason I liked Tare Zameen Par? Maybe - maybe not. What I know for sure is that a strong one-line story is narrated extremely charmingly. It is truly uplifting when spirit wins and yet, it is not all about the spirit of winning.
Tare Zameer Par is about a child who suffers because no one around him recognizes that he is a slow learner. The beauty of the narration is that the message applies to all children - learning disability or not. How can creativity not deserve a place in academics? It also points a very subtle finger at how we build conformation in our system right at the roots.
The pace of the first half gives you time to think of normal children who are just not academically inclined. The resolution in the second half, however, comes by too quickly compared to the trauma shown earlier. But, I guess, if the point is to show that difficulties can be overcome, you don't necessarily want to show how difficult it is to overcome them.
About 45 minutes post-interval, Darsheel Safary (Ishaan) said a line which made me realize that he hadn't said a line in the last hour or so. There I was feeling sorry for Ishaan, feeling like yelling at someone to give him a big hug while I fought this lump in my throat that had been there for the longest time. All this based solely on Darsheel's expressions and body language!
Kudos to the director for taking this decision and many such with brilliant confidence. And, finally we have a dialogue writer who knows when not to give the actors a helping hand. There are a couple of verbose, preachy scenes. But, they made the point because they were well written.
Aamir Khan's entry into the movie seemed over-the-top and forced, mainly because it was in absolute contrast with the tone of the movie thus far. But after a little while you realize that you can't distinguish between the actor/director Aamir Khan and his character Nikhumb. They are both fighting the same cause. Passionately. The other characters serve their purpose as caricatures - stereotypical father, loving mother, understanding sibling, ruthless teacher, and jeering peers.
No matter who or what the focus of the camera is, the love it feels towards its subjects shows in each frame. And, in turn, you fall in love with what you see on screen. Compositions, lighting, angles, colors all work successfully together to engross you and very often to enchant you. The lingering camera might have added a good 10-15 minutes to the run-time. But you will be hard-pressed to point out exact scenes which the movie could have done without. Everything is building character or atmosphere or both.
The songs too contribute to the narrative. The lyrics are sheer poetry. I know-I know, that's what they are supposed to be, but can't remember the last time lyrics brought me to tears. "mein kabhi batlaata nahi" kept me speechless (and we all know how difficult that is!). And rock-style guitar strumming to a kids' song - that's what I call creative.
Yes, that dash of seemingly inevitable melodrama exists. The side-characters transform for no apparent reason. The climax is exaggerated and is as unrealistic as it could get. However, the aim is to show not reality of life but reality of the condition that this child suffers from. Once you get that, you pardon the make-up a mother is wearing at 6 AM while doing her chores. And anyway, most of this is towards the end, by which time you are willing to forgive. Because, above all else, it makes you think.
When did we grow up? When along the way did we forget what it felt like to be yelled at, to be put down, to be ridiculed? And why did we choose the next generation for revenge? Will we recognize the child in us that is struggling to get out? Will the sensation that the lump in the throat created, stay after the credits roll?
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, All Bollywood : ..."Taare Zameen Par" would make for a good film for teachers and parents as well as kids... full review
Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, All Bollywood : ..."Taare Zameen Par" would make for a good film for teachers and parents as well as kids... full review
Thumbs up, by Amodini, Amodini's Movie Reviews : ...But taken just by himself, and without the sympathetic support from Darsheel’s character I’m not sure I felt as much for Nikumbh – he was too surely seated on his moral high horse... full review
Thumbs up, by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice : ...Darsheel Safary is the real hero of the film. No two thoughts about it. Aamir Khan is the second fiddle.... full review
Thumbs up, by Razeen Shameem, Bolly Spice : ...Amole Gupte may not have ended up directing the movie, but he deserves all the credit in the world for penning such a fantastic script.... full review
Thumbs up, Bollyvista.com : ...Also, Prasoon Joshi writes wonderful lyrics, especially in "Maa"... full review
Thumbs up, by Fatema H Kagalwala, Business of Cinema : ...TZP has been born out of this precise need to share, reach out and engage... full review
Thumbs up, by Abhishek Mande, Buzz18 : ...with its sensitively written story and screenplay, Taare… brings back to mind some of the bittersweet experiences from our own childhood... full review
Thumbs up, by Shubham Shukla, Deccan Herald : ...Every element of the film speaks to you, communicates the emotion that the movie is trying to showcase... full review
Thumbs up, by Deep, Deep's Home : ...it was more like kid telling Aamir “Hey, you!! you better direct the movie, i will handle the things on the acting front”... full review
Thumbs up, by Shubhra Gupta, Express India : ...The ‘specialness’ of Ishaan doesn't become a label: it just underlines the film's message, “every child is special”... full review
Thumbs up, Express India : ...The film runs for slightly more than two and a half hours but the beautifully crafted script would not allow a sense of discomfort to seep in... full review
Thumbs up, by Martin D'Souza, Glamsham.com : ...Darsheel Safary, for an eight-year-old gives off an excellent performance worthy of a standing ovation... full review
Thumbs up, by Khalid Mohamed, Hindustan Times : ...Khan rekindles those uncomfortable moments of our childhood... full review
Thumbs up, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...the real hero of this film is its remarkable, rooted, rock-solid script... full review
Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM : ...compelling you to draw parallels with your life... full review
Thumbs up, by Praveen Lance Fernandes, indiatimes : ... Aamir’s entry just before the interval is quite filmy in a so far realistic film and lacks the punch that the viewer expects... full review
Thumbs up, Indicine : ...Aamir has given the child more footage and captured every emotion deftly thereby focusing on its root cause... full review
Thumbs up, by Abhijit Mhamunkar, indya.com : ...Shankar Ehsaan Loy at their vintage best, are perfectly aided by Prasoon Joshi's soul-stirring lyrics... full review
Thumbs up, by Evita Saldanha, M TV : ...Aamir Khan has done his homework rather well... full review
Thumbs up, by Asheesh Kumar Shukla, merinews : ...Shanker Ahsaan Loy made their mark by giving their signature of a slow-cum-thumping music... full review
Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...Inclusion, empathy and emotional bonding with caring is what this film beautifully propagates... full review
Thumbs up, by Abhavya Sharan, MovieWalah : ...Aamir Khan the filmmaker and story teller is as brilliant as Aamir Khan the choosy actor... full review
Thumbs up, by Mayank Shekhar, Mumbai Mirror : ...It is possible to confuse, or willingly favour, a great intention over a good film sometimes. Without doubt, this one is both... full review
Thumbs up, by Anupama Chopra, NDTV : ...The film is likely to alter your view of children because it paints their joys and horrors so accurately.... full review
Thumbs up, by Anurag Kashyap, Passion for Cinema : ...what i love the most is the way the camera lingers on to the moments and the boy and is not in a hurry to move away..... full review
Thumbs up, by Hanumant Bhansali, Radio Sargam : ...The film is quite realistic, atleast most of the times... full review
Thumbs up, SearchIndia.com : ...Taare Zameen Par is light years ahead of your average Bollywood flick... full review
Thumbs up, by Satyajit, SmasHits.com : ...It's indeed sheer delight that there has been optimum usage of graphics and animation... full review
Thumbs up, by Saakshi Juneja, To Each Its Own : ...Good use of animation, which in turn interprets a young mind’s imagination... full review
Thumbs up, Upper Stall : ...It is a confident and assured start to what could be a fascinating filmography as a filmmaker for Aamir... full review
Thumbs up, Urge to Fly : ...Taare Zameen Par is as much about dyslexia as No Smoking was about smoking... full review
Thumbs up, by Neha Viswanathan, Within / Without : ...The camera treats him with a certain gentleness. It lingers on him. It’s patient with him, which is not what one can say about the adults in his life... full review
So-So, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...But Aamir Khan, The Performer, becomes a bit of a problem for Aamir Khan, The Director... full review
So-So, by Raja Sen, Rediff : ...Taare flounders fatally at the end.... full review
So-So, by Naomi Datta, Times Now : ...the problem is that you start feeling every minute of those three hours... full review
Thumbs down, by Bikas Mishra, DearCinema : ...From fake sounding dialogues, to cheeky logical flaws of the screenplay, complete absence of characterization... full review
Thumbs down, by Renuka Vyavahare, indiatimes : ... This film which boasts a brilliant concept and excellent performances disappoints you, the only reason being its ‘length’ and ‘preachy’ execution.... full review
Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.
This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Plot Summary
Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) is a dyslexic, but no one around him knows that. Ram Nikhumb (Aamir Khan) puts his faith in Ishaan and helps him work on his weaknesses and enhance his strengths.
What Worked
- The gutter scene in the beginning, beautifully shot!
- Titles - adorable!
- The manner in which the street vendors were captured in the sequence where Ishaan is roaming on the streets.
- The shudder Darsheel gives when the car starts (at the hostel).
- The way Ishaan's character has developed. You know he is the kind who would hate showing his tears in public and thus refrains from crying when he is hit on his knuckles.
- Portrayal of how color is sucked out of Ishaan, a child whose only true love is colors.
- The scenes in which Ishaan is shown gazing at the scenery - a breathtaking composition.
What did not
- How can a school which boasts of discipline allow a parent to interrupt class?
- The principal of the school did not look stern enough to be such a stickler for discipline.
- How come Ishaan became such a sudden favorite at school that he got a standing ovation?
Nitty-Gritty
- Teachers announcing marks of 60 children in front of the whole class, as if she was taking a roll call. Where does that happen? Marks usually are kept secret. And even if marks are announced they are just of the highest and the lowest scorers.
- Ishaan wears a uniform that is two sizes bigger than what he needs. Again, superficial things purposefully used to exaggerate situation and evoke empathy.
- Where did Ishaan get money to buy the gola (ice-candy) and take a bus ride? He used his school bus to go home, why would a third grader have money?
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Comments (38)
Naina, done! Thanks for the link.
Pooja, I know exactly what you mean!
TinuAnand, I in variably have at least one review out on Friday evening. The only Friday I have missed as far as I can remember is November 9th because it was Diwali. So, do check every Friday! Do not miss this one in the theaters and do come back and let us know what you thought!
Biswa, absolutely!!
hi
i think the movie is fantastick......... it makes the audience to think out of the conventional box at least in the matter of children ........ the children those who are weak in the conventional studies....... it is also an well directed by the debutant Amir Khan as director...... as a actor he is my hero........... it will be sad if move will not be hit ......... but it is imperative that movie will not be as hit the other bollywodd movies are .......... reat is well made movie............
Taare Zameen par was a heart touching movie. It is brillantly directed and the movie is as perfect as Aamir Khan. He has always been a powerful force in making his movies a complete finished product and now we see his total dedication in bringing out one of the best movies Bollywood or rather the world has ever seen. This is Oscar material.
check my blog: http://bollywoodtrends.blogspot.com for moview review on Taare zameen par
[...] Meeta Kabra [Without giving the movie away] [...]
I m speechless, the way the Aamir has directed and acted in the film. It is simply awesome and heads up to him.
i hope the moviev will be outstanding ..i have not seen yet .i m really curious about this movie. i love Amir
[...] also had lumps in her throat at Darsheel’s portrayal of Ishaan. There I was feeling sorry for Ishaan, feeling like yelling at someone to give him a big hug while [...]
[...] gift as it receives rave reviews in its first week. Meetu (without giving the movie away) gives it a Must-See rating. How can one not love a movie about children crafted with utmost compassion - children with special [...]
Liked the review except the subtitle "A lesson for parents & teachers".
good movie for every one, must watch, much better than to qualify for the Oscar,
Thanks universelingal!
Thanks Thejesh, it would be great feedback to know why.
Puneet - i think, copying or "getting inspired" is okay if it is done well.
Thanks a ton, Ashish K!
This movie teaches a lesson to the guardian as well as teacher how to behave their child or student, behaving abnormal or very different from the behavior of common children. This movie is really great i love the role of the child by name Ishant in the movie and i admire Aamir, its director and story writter. This movie will be appreciated by every class of the society so this is its beauty.
Shail
THATS A REALLY GOOD MOVIE BUT I WAS A BIT BORED AT THE END (THE PAINTING COMPETING) THAT WHERE THE MOVIE SLOWSDOWN~~~STILL I WOULDGIVE 3.5/5
[...] (old) blog post by Aamir Khan about the process they followed for recording the background score of Tare Zameen Par which I found very interesting: The work on the TZP background score is going rather well I think. [...]
Thanks Sailesh!
its been a very good story in which it has been told about children that all are not the same every child has some weak & strong points also that everyone has different thinking & way of expressing also the parents should look forward to the child and his problems
the best filim i ever have seen.i cried a lot..it really became a pain in my heart..i will be always thankful to the whole team for contributing the wonderful story.especially anmole gupta,aamir khan,deepti bhatia and my dearest darsheel safary.its my humble request toanyone for send me any details for conact them.
he is really like my sweet brother..love you darsheel...you did a goo job.
i love this movi becoz it is so good i like it and i like the role of amir khan
TZP what a wonderful cinema for children. my baby long time watch this cinema.my babies r 2.5 years oldand 5+. they like this cinema very much.
Aamir Khan's charm and brilliance has worked yet again.It's not just a movie,it's an advice to follow for generations to come.
great movie!
i like Tare Zameen Par a nice flim,no words to tell about it a good story good direction .i am an fan of Aamir Khan.
this movie was in my heart and it is still there. In the modern world we have a lot of problems to accept each other for who and what they are. We need develop then skills. Because only then can we live peacefully
The movie was very an inspirational. Every scene tuoched and soften my heart that i cried hard enough to heaven. the connotes a hearstring and awaken the minds of the teachers who cant understand the individual dirrences. i really love the movie, is best movie i ever seen.I felt so much better after watching the movie. The movie which a child may or may not understand but one which every parent/teacher should watch to understand their child. i recommend this movie to all, spicially the teachers.
I have seen many hindi movies about the plight of children Mother India was the most powerful, this particular movie has delivered strong messages about the misfortunes and suffering of childern was again.
Aamir Khan is an actor whom I rate very highly as his ability to adapt into character and carry the strong screen prescence is unprecendented amongst the modern Indian film stars. He is definitely one of my favourites his apperance in Lagaan was top notch.
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Yeah, it was quite great movie. 7/10 from my side..
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it is wonderfull story..................................""""""""""""""""""""""""
Direction: 4
Story: 3.5
Lead Actors: 2.5
Character Artists: 3.5
Dialogues: 3.5
Screenplay: 3.5
Music Director: 3
Lyrics: 3.5
Sad that i missed this movie to watch on 2007. But got a chance to see this movie yesterday. WAS absolutely went to tears after seeing the movie, especially the scene where Ishan got first prize and runs and hug amir khan with lot of tears in his eyes was very touching. A good message for all parents and teachers. As amir khan says to boy parents just look after him, its a beautiful message for each and every parent.
Thanks amir khan for a master piece
heart touching movie..jst luv it...beautiful message...
Now this one is the pride of my DVD shelf (cupboard).
Every time I watch it i get the goosebumps and the eyes flood. Rewatched it yesterday by chance. Was just swapping channels and hit upon Zee Cinema which was airing the film.
A gem of a film. Reminds me each time that I am human and that childhood must be a carefree age to do and go where the imaginative mind takes you.
its a beautiful movie which gives you mixed emotions.
Best movie I ever see in my life. Besides entertainment, there are also many things to learn from Taare Zameen Par. A must watch!
one of the best movies i have came across, heart touching with a good amount of emotional vision
superb movie to watch .. aamir khan did great job director dada
I have watched this movie several times. It is not just a movie but something that happens everyday. This movie is one in a kind
this is one of the best movie i have ever seen
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