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Cast:
Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Darsheel Safary,
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M.K. Raina |
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Genre: Children, Drama |
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Music:
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy |
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Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi |
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Banner:
Aamir Khan Productions |
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Choreographer: Shaimak Davar |
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Presenter:
PVR Pictures |
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Producer:
Aamir Khan |
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Direction:
Aamir Khan |
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Welcome (pun intended) to the world of Walt Disney in India!
Yes, that is exactly how Aamir Khan, debuting as director,
and his creative team package the film, making a classic
entertainer that does not bore a second at 18 reels on a
subject as socially-vital as dyslexia. So all you Revathis,
Farhan Akhtars and Ashutosh Gowarikers et al out there who
think that social issues need dry and drab treatments get
ready for Mr Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan), a colourful
arts teacher who rightly and vitally believes that
every child is special, whether dyslexic or physically and
mentally challenged. |
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And in this lies hidden the great myth about
dyslexia, a disorder that spans a diversity of
symptoms but is found only in children with
above-average intelligence, imagination and
emotional quotient. Taare could have emerged
as a cloying or crawling docu-drama without the
colours in which Nikumbh and his favourite student
Ishaan so boldly love to dabble.
Instead, Khan uses his superstardom and his family
tradition of full-on entertainers.
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The top
billing over the superstar to Harsheel Daftary who plays the
clumsy, carefree, conventionally duffer and
internally-suffering Ishaan is completely justified. The boy
delivers a performance that can only be called stupendous,
and no doubt a few more words can be added from the
Thesaurus. Taare delights, touches, elevates,
instructs and motivates both such children and adults who
have to deal with such offsprings, students and kids in
general, and full marks and more to the creative teams
writer and creative director Amole Gupte and his wife Deepa
Bhatia who is responsible for the concept, the painstaking
and authentic research and the compassionate editing that
does not cut off scenes for dramatic brevity when detailing
is vital. |
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While the climax of Lagaan was set in a
cricket match, here it is in an art competition, but
the effect is as rivetting and cheering. Ishaan, the
underdog, the boy who is a disgrace to his
parents, school and orthodox teachers with his
blunders, low marks and aggressive behaviour blooms
into the hero of the day, all because of the
farsighted and motivated Nikumbh Sir who waters
this human plant with compassion, sympathy and
affection instead of pouring reprimands, beatings,
criticisms and ridicule on him! |
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film takes care to paint the parents, hassled from their own
perspective, as real, believable people who are ignorant of
the enormity of the problem and where it can lead the
loveless Ishaan. Ishaans animation diary is the
masterstroke in the film (which has to be seen on screen
rather than described) and the sledgehammer impact of
Ishaans fathers second interaction with Nikumbh is another
dramatic highpoint. Through subtly effective rather than
in-your-face methods, the film spotlights vital points, like
laws about handling dyslexics, the gifts of handicapped
children, the lack of individual attention in schools,
physical punishments, academic pressures of performance on
small children and other rampant evils in the
socio-educational fabric of Indian society. |
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Incredibly, the script even brings out dry
facts in an interesting fashion through
visuals and dialogues, and if cinematic
license is taken in Nikumbhs idealistic
character, it is only to highlight how much
better Indian children would be today if
teachers and the system thought
out-of-the-box even with normal
children! |
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word about the animation by Tata Elxsi it is nothing short
of fantabulous, and the same goes for the dialogues (Amole)
and the outstanding lyrics (Prasoon Joshi) especially in Maa. Amole contributes here too, with Mera jahaan. The
music (except for Maa and the title-track) could have been
much better, ditto the background score. But Setu
camerawork and Shruti Guptes production design are
extraordinary and thankfully again, very Indian film and
bright. No noir or mood rubbish here the film is too
progressive and bright for that! |
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The rest of the performances are no less, even if
some of the teachers are intentionally
caricature-like. Aamir Khan is effortless, his
artless performance in the more dramatic and intense
scenes packing a zor ka dhakka dheere se lage wallop. The kids are simply wonderful,
especially Sachet Engineer as Ishaans bright
brother who unwittingly makes things worse by his
all-round genius and Tanay Chheda as the crippled
Rajan, Ishaans best friend in class. |
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Here is a film of which its makers and we as Indians
can be truly proud. A film for every human being who
realizes that the future of mankind lies in how he
nurtures todays children. If this film does
not win any Best Film award this year, it will be
the awards loss. For rarely have entertainment and
message so exquisitely combined in Hindi cinema. |
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