FILM REVIEW OF TAARE ZAMEEN PAR

CAST OF FILM:

• Producer: Aamir Khan

• Director: Aamir Khan

• Lead Cast: Aamir Khan as art teacher, Darsheel Safary as Ishaan Awasthi

• Supporting Cast: Tanay Cheda as Rajan Damodaran(Ishaan’s friend), Sachet Engineeras

Yohan Awasthi(Ishaan’s brother), Tisca Chopra as Maya Awasthi(Ishaan’s mother), Vipin
Sharma as Nandkishore Awasthi(Ishaan’s father)

• Story: Amole Gupte

SUMMARY OF FILM
The movie is about an 8 year old boy Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) who finds it difficult to match
his world of colors, kites and animals to that of the others in his age group, who are more into studies
and homework. When complaints start to pour in, Ishaan’s parents decide to set him off to a boarding
school. His life is no different at the boarding school, oppressed and insulted by his teachers, he
remains the laugh stock of the class. Now that he is away from home, he feels even more dejected,
inferior and finds it tough to cope up with his inabilities. Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan) gets
appointed as a temporary art teacher of the boarding school. Unlike other teachers who follow
definite norms in educating children, Ram makes them think out of books, outside the four walls of
the classroom and paint their imaginations. Every child in class responds with immense enthusiasm
except Ishaan. Ram takes effort to understand Ishaan and his problems. He makes Ishaan’s parents
and other teachers realize that he is not abnormal but a very special child with talents of his own. With
time, patience and care Ram succeeds in boosting the confidence level of Ishaan. He helps Ishaan in
overcoming his inabilities and re-discover his lost confidence.
THEME OF THE MOVIE
Dyslexia is the central topic and theme of the film. This film raise awareness of the issue of dyslexia,
and prompt more open discussions among parents, schools, activists, and policymakers. 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.

WHAT IS MOVIE ABOUT

Taare Zameen Par is about a child who suffers because no one around him recognizes that he is a slow
learner. This child named Ishaan Nandkishore Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) is an eight-year-old boy who
dislikes school and fails every test or exam. He finds all subjects difficult, and is belittled and berated
by his teachers and classmates. But Ishaan’s internal world is rich with wonders that he is unable to
convey to others, magical lands filled with colour and animated animals. He is an artist whose talent
is unrecognised. The film Taare Zameen Par (Stars upon the Ground) also portrays the tormented life
at school and at home of a child with dyslexia and his eventual success after his artistic talents are
discovered by his art teacher at the boarding school.

DIFFICULTIES FACED BY ISHAAN

Ishaan Awasthi has a problem called dyslexia, i.e. is a neurological language processing disorder that
affects a student’s ability to process written and spoken information. He faces difficulty in
pronouncing words, repeating phrases that are spoken to them, understanding the meaning from
spoken phrases, and following detailed instructions. They particularly have difficulty in distinguishing
similar sounding words and letters. Due to his failure in every test and exam his parents were also not
able to recognise his problem, they make pressure of getting up in his studies. This leads lack of
confidence in him, his all artistic desires suppress by the feeling of loneliness.

ROLE OF PARENTS, TEACHERS & PEER GROUPS TO DEAL A SPECIAL

CHILD
1. First, the parents & teachers should be extremely supportive and encouraging. Secondly, the
young dyslexic found an area in which he or she could succeed. Finally, successful dyslexics
appear to have developed a commitment to helping others.

2. I believe encouragement involves at least four elements. First, listening to children’s feelings.
Anxiety, anger and depression are daily companions for dyslexics. However, their language
problems often make it difficult for them to express their feelings. Therefore, adults must help
them learn to talk about their feelings.

3. Parents & teachers must reward effort, not just “the product”. For the dyslexic, grades should
be less important than progress. When confronting unacceptable behaviour, adults must not
inadvertently discourage the dyslexic child. Words such as “lazy” or “incorrigible” can seriously
damage the child’s self-image.
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 behaviour of common children.

ROLE OF PEERS
Some children with special needs will make friends very easily. Others may need an adult’s help in
connecting with peers in their classroom. Having friends is one of the most rewarding aspects of a
child’s life. Peer groups can boost a child’s social competence, self-esteem, and confidence.
Friendships support social, emotional, and intellectual development. Having a good friend means
sharing fun times and difficult times. A good friend can offer comfort and connection through words,
gestures, or silence. A group of friends can provide a wonderful and important opportunity for a child
to fit in and to be accepted. So, it is important for a special child to have numerous supporting friends
so that he can develop without any hesitation, and will not feel isolated.

ROLE OF SOCIETY, COMMUNITY & EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

An educational institution for special children should aim at the following norms: -
1. To interest him in social life – try to make his life better than before

2. To improve his awareness of environmental stimuli – but the context was controlled

3. To extend the range of his ideas (e.g. introduce him to games, culture, etc.)

4. To teach him to speak & teach him to communicate by using symbol systems, such as pictures
and written words.

5. To exercise the operations of his mind upon his physical wants, from simple and proximal to
complex and far.

6. To make available all the basic facilities in relation to the special child’s need.

7. Care for the disabled, medical care and rehabilitation. Children segregated into homogenous
groups.

8. The principle of normalisation and integration.

9. Educational equality and equal educational services (inclusion).

10. Trained staff, equipment and specialized services.

Role of society & community: -

1. Treating people with disabilities as normally as possible.

2. People should not label the special children.

3. They should encourage their efforts & should not criticise their failures.

4. Society & community should not pressurize them for following their norms as they feel
difficulties in making their spaces in the vast culture.
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN SPECIAL
EDUCATION

Inclusive education means all children, also children experiencing barriers to learning, development
and participation, including children with disabilities, have the right to quality education in a school
that is close to their home and in a class that suits their age.

In my opinion the inclusive education is much better because: -

1. Every child has a fundamental right to education & a unique characteristics, interests, abilities
and learning needs.

2. Students with special needs must have access to regular schools with adapted education.
Regular schools with an inclusive orientation are the most effective means of combating and
preventing discriminative attitudes and building up an inclusive society.

3. Removal may only occur when education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids
and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

4. If it is not possible to educate a child successfully in a regular education classroom with the
use of supplementary aids and services, then team must consider more restrictive
alternatives.

Reflection:
Taare Zameen par was a heart touching movie. This movie teaches a lesson to the guardians, peers as
well as teachers how to behave their child or student, behaving abnormal or very different from the
behaviour of common children. This film should be an eyeopener to parents of dyslexic children. It is
important to facilitate the development of their unique artistic and other abilities to its full capacity
rather than to overemphasize on the correction of the disturbed coded symbol operations. We should
support and behave with them with love, we should not label them this demoralizes them.

This is a great and inspirational movie.