Thursday, January 17, 2008

Taare Zameen Par


Very rarely do you get to see such great films that touch your heart and make you a better person. Hats off to Aamir Khan for giving us an exceptional film. Exceptional, because it serves the higher purpose of art, cinema in this case.

‘Taare Zameen Par’ is about a little boy, or shall I say a little flower that has been nipped so many times in the bud that it begins to wilt. But then comes the gardener, the man who lets, and helps, the bud to flower fully.

The story of the movie: Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary), an 8 year old child, is different from all the other kids of his age. He is busy looking at dogs, fishes, colourful things etc and painting while the world around him is busy buried in their own work. He had failed in Std 3 and there was no improvement in him. His family consisted of his mother Maya (Tisca Chopra), Nandkishor (Vipin Sharma) and Yohaan (Sachet Engineer) who are all fed up of him. After repeated complaints, Ishaan’s father decided to admit him in a boarding school so that he’ll learn discipline there and become a studious and obedient boy.

Ishaan refused to go and pleaded but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Finally, he was admitted. There his life remain unchanged and plus, he had to bear the trauma of separation from his family. Slowly, he became an introvert and stopped talking as no one understood him. One day, a new art teacher came to their school, Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan). An enjoyable and cheerful man, he was not like the rest of the ‘disciplined’ types teacher. He loved and taught his students to enjoy life and to bring out their emotions by painting. He spotted the sad, scared and lonely Ishaan and decided to help him.

Aamir, the dependable Khan, is up to his credentials as an actor. But it is as the director that he scores. Aamir has handled the subject with great sensitivity. His cinema is not about style but substance. Without straying into the usual trappings of a regular Bollywood film and at the same time blending the superb songs by Shankar Ehsaan Loy smoothly in the narrative, Aamir keeps TZP focused solely on the story and its essence.

And what a story it is. Amole Gupte deserves no less credit for penning such a touching tale. It is a story that shows the helplessness of a kid who is not able to perform tasks that are beyond his abilities. It also shows the lack of understanding on part of teachers and parents while dealing with such kids. And, last but not the least, it is a story of hope. It is a story that not just touches you but also transforms you. That, for me, is the higher purpose of art. And that is precisely why ‘Taare Zameen Par’ is an exceptional film.

Courtesy : opinions.ibibo.com

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