I’m a huge Amir Khan fan & was so looking forward to his directing debut " Taare Zameen Par". Aamir Khan is a rare gem in Bollywood Cinema, he is unique in that he doesn’t throw himself forward for any old Bollywood movie offered his way, he takes his time & makes a genuine effort in choosing movies that stand out from the humdrum out there. So with TZP there was nothing to lose, a sure fire hit. A dyslexic child, an inspiring considerate teacher. Sounded like a perfect vessel for Aamir Khan to showcase his talents. A standout movie yet again from Aamir Khan, I was ready to adorn it with high praise. However I have to say I was dissapointed. The subject matter was very appealing but the movie’s delivery of this subject story fell short.
It’s possible that the movie suffered due Aamir Khan directing this movie, as he rarely lets you down but that was the overall feeling I had after watching the movie. The first half of the movie spent too much time highlighting the child’s disabilities. It made it’s point very early on & didn’t need to keep hammering it home. When Aamir Khan eventually arrives on scene, his assessment & connection with the child seemed too rushed to me. Also the parents should have been integral to this movie but seemed to play a side part once Aamir Khan appeared. I’m sure the scene where the child was left alone at the Boarding school was designed to highlight his detachment & loneliness he felt. It would have been more realistic showing the parents saying an emotional goodbye to the child rather than leaving him dumped on the doorstep of the Boarding school. The songs "Maa" & "Taare Zameen Par" are beautiful songs but I didn’t feel they were delivered in way that matched the scenes being conveyed & those scenes suffered from playing the whole songs, it laboured the point & just didn’t fit as well as it should have done. At times Aamir’s performance was too preachy & typical of a "nice nice teacher with sealed lips smiles & winks & nods" aaaw how nice. The other teachers were a joke, they were obviously inserted for comic relief, bad idea & absolutely unnecessary. The movie did have some touching moments & had good intentions but overall wasn’t delivered with substance, subtelty, any nuanced performances or genuine originality.