‘Every Child Is Special’….this is said at the very outset
of Taare Zameen Par….a film that is very ‘special’ in itself.
Lets get to the basics…Ishaan Awasthi(Darsheel Safary) is a
dyslexic kid who is a natural free thinker. He’s bothered more about birds,
dogs, painting, kites and even fishes rather than homework, studies and
textbooks. His parents, sick and tired of complains from neighbours and his
school put him in a boarding. He feels lonely there too and gets drawn into a
shell….a shell where he creates his own universe full of creative imaginations.
Enter Ram Shankar Nikhumbh(Aamir Khan), an art teacher who is a free thinker
too. He gives confidence to little Ishaan and helps him channelise his
creativity. They form a bond and Ishaan finally begins to understand himself.
To be honest I think Darsheel Safary can easily be nominated
for a National Award for 2007. He’s immensely believable as Ishaan bringing out
emotions like love, anger, dejection, fear, sorrow, joy, surprise, despair…you
name it with absolute ease…add to that his ‘bugs bunny’ teeth give him a
slightly goofy look which is so important to the character. Kudos to the
casting director. Aamir Khan, the ever dependable actor…a noteworthy
performance as an empathizing teacher who believes in Ishaan. I think its very
important to note that Aamir is NOT the central character of this film…infact
he’s not there for the entire first half(well I think some 1 minute
introduction before the interval can barely qualify as screen presence) and yet
he shines. Another actor who I think is highly underrated is Tisca
Chopra…playing a role of a perfect housewife and a loving mother to near
perfection. I’ve watched her in many soaps on the small screen and always felt
she had the potential….truly one woman who deserves more space in films today.
What works for Taare Zameen Par:
1) A
superb story and screenplay….not once do you feel that the focus of the film
moves away from the centre….neither does any frame look forced into the
narrative.
2) Direction….must
say Aamir and Amol(Creative Director) seem to have done loads of research
before beginning this project. Every frame is handled maturely and with utmost
sensitivity keeping in mind that this is a ‘movie about kids’ and NOT a ‘kids
movie’.
3) Terrific
song picturisations….trust me i’ve not seen such good song picturisations in
quite a long time. The last good song picturisations I felt were done for Dil
Chahta Hai. This one was a real fresh experience.
4) Darsheel
Safary…the free thinker who sees creativity where others see nothing. Man…this
kid is going places if directed well.
What does against Taare Zameen Par:
Yes…despite being a wonderful film it does have its lows….
1) Ishaan’s
frustration and anger are well explained….but his arrogance was something I
felt was half baked. Why does he need to be arrogant? Now please don’t say that
nobody found him arrogant in any frame.
2) The
first half is a little slow. It could have been trimmed. Comparatively the
second half was far superior, faster and well graphed as far as Ishaan’s
character development is concerned.
Bloopers:
When Ishaan leaves the dormitory
early at dawn before anyone wakes up we see that the dorm is actually empty.
Atleast I did not see the legs or head of a single kid on any bed in the dorm.
Good Scenes:
1) Ishaan’s
first scene in the school where he’s catching fish.
2) Aamir’s
chat with Ishaan’s parents at their home.
3) Aamir’s
talk with Ishaan’s dad about the Solomon Islands.
4) The
final 10-15 minutes….the entire art competition scene is wonderful.
My Verdict:
I think Aamir just proved us a
point….we always knew he was an exceptional actor, an able producer(else he
wouldn’t have risked his money for a film like Lagaan which was quite a gamble
and don’t forget it was Ashutosh Gowariker’s first attempt at direction). This
time he dons the cap of the ‘director’ and with utmost confidence I should say.
Taare Zameen Par is a beautifully made film which attempts to make a free
thinker out of the viewer and succeeds to a very large extent. A must watch for
everyone.