Taare Zameen Par (Hindi: तारे ज़मीन पर, Urdu: تارے زمین پر, English DVD title: Like Stars on Earth) is a 2007 Indian film directed by Aamir Khan, produced by Aamir Khan Productions, and initially conceived of and developed by the husband and wife team, Amole Gupte (writer and creative director) and Deepa Bhatia (concept, research, and editing).[3] It features music by the trio, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, lyrics by Prasoon Joshi, CG animation by Visual Computing Labs, Tata Elxsi Ltd., 2D animation is by Vaibhav Kumaresh’s Vaibhav studios, and title animation by Dhimantvyas.

Taare Zameen Par was released as a film to theaters worldwide on December 21, 2007. The Indian version of the DVD was released in Mumbai on July 25, 2008. An international edition three-disk DVD titled Like Stars on Earth is slated for release on October 13, 2009. The Walt Disney Company has bought the home video rights for distribution in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. This is "the first time an international studio has bought the video rights of an Indian film."

The film tells the story of eight year old Ishaan (Darsheel Safary) who suffers greatly until a teacher (Aamir Khan) identifies him as dyslexic. Both commercially and critically acclaimed,[9] Taare Zameen Par is the winner of the 2008 Filmfare Best Movie Award. It was declared tax free by the Government of Delhi.

Plot

Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) is an eight-year old boy who hates school. Every subject is difficult for him and he perpetually fails his exams. He also lacks motor coordination skills and finds it difficult to throw a ball in a straight line. Rather than help him, his teachers and classmates subject him to constant acts of public humiliation. At the same time, Ishaan's internal world is rich with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate: magical lands filled with color and animated animals.

It is no better at home. His father, Nandkishore Awasthi (Vipin Sharma), is a successful and busy executive who expects the best from his boys. His mother, Maya Awasthi (Tisca Chopra), is a housewife who is perpetually frustrated by her inability to help Ishaan excel. Ishaan's elder brother Yohaan (Sachet Engineer) is a successful scholar/athlete, a fact which Ishaan is constantly reminded of. After discovering that Ishaan skipped (or "bunked") school, in addition to having poor grades, his parents decide that he needs to attend boarding school in order to be 'disciplined'.

Life at the boarding school does not help Ishaan to excel, despite being befriended by Rajan Damodran (Tanay Chheda), one of the best students. Instead, he sinks into a perpetual state of fear and depression as he now has to contend with the added trauma of separation from his family. This changes, however, when a new temporary art teacher Ram Shankar Nikumbh or "Nikumbh Sir" (Aamir Khan) joins Ishaan's boarding school. Nikumbh, with his characteristic teaching style that is markedly different that his strict predecessor, soon becomes popular among the students. He begins to notice that Ishaan is unhappy and a non-contributor to activities in the class (despite creating an atmosphere in the class that actively seeks contribution from the students). Disturbed, Nikumbh begins to review Ishaan's past work and determines that all of his "failures" are actually reflective of dyslexia.

On his day off, Nikumbh visits Ishaan's parents and asks to review more of his work. He is also stunned by the sophistication of Ishaan's paintings. Nikumbh tells Ishaan's parents that Ishaan is a bright child who processes information differently than the other children in class. He describes dyslexia to them and clarifies that this is a neurological condition which is not a sign of low intelligence. He also tells them he can provide extra tutoring which will help Ishaan succeed.To support this argument, Nikumbh highlights Ishaan's artistic ability as demonstrated by his many paintings and creative works-of-art. In order to make his point, Nikumbh demands that Ishaan's father read a box with Japanese text. When Mr. Awasthi states that he cannot read the text, Nikhumbh reprimands him. In doing so, Nikhumbh demonstrates to them what Ishaan struggles with on a daily basis.

When he returns to the school, Nikumbh brings up the topic of dyslexia one day in class and offers a list of famous people who are considered dyslexic: Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Walt Disney, Agatha Christie, Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, and actor Abhishek Bachchan. As the students are leaving the classroom Nikumbh asks Ishaan to stay back. At that time Nikumbh reveals that he has experienced the same difficulties with dyslexia. Nikumbh also conveys the same information to the principal of the school (M.K. Raina) and asks if he can act as a tutor for Ishaan. After gaining the Principal's assent, Nikumbh then proceeds to teach Ishaan using remedial techniques developed by specialists in the area of dyslexia. Ishaan soon develops interest in language and mathematical skills and his grades improve. Towards the end of the year, Nikumbh organizes an art fair for staff and students alike. The competition is judged by Lalita Lajmi (who portrays herself in the movie). Ishaan, with his strikingly creative style is declared the winner, while his teacher, Nikumbh (who paints Ishaan's portrait) is declared the runner up.

When Ishaan's parents meet his teachers on the last day of school, they are speechless over the changes in him as he has improved in all of his subjects. Before leaving for the holidays, Ishaan runs to hug his teacher. The film ends with a freeze frame shot of Ishaan being tossed in the air by Nikumbh as if he were flying.

Production

Pre-production

The husband and wife team of Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia initially conceived of the idea for Taare Zameen Par out of the desire to understand why some children cannot conform to an educational system. The screenplay began as a short story titled “High Jump” and developed into a full work seven years later. Deepa Bhatia later stated in an interview with The Hindu that her initial inspiration was not the subject of dyslexia. Instead, it was derived from the childhood of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (who was a poor student in school), as she wanted to explore the story of "a child who did not fit into the school stream." Bhatia referenced a specific moment when Kurosawa began to bloom only after meeting an art teacher who devoted time and attention to him. Bhatia further stated, "It was this scene that became the inspiration for how a teacher could transform the life of a student."

In developing the character of a young boy based on Kurosawa, Bhatia and Gupte found themselves perplexed: "Amole kept posing issues like: what was wrong with the kid? Was he a slow learner? Was he disinterested, or incapable? All these questions kept coming up and we felt that there were not enough answers.” They became involved in intensive research which led them to groups such as the Maharashtra Dyslexia Association and PACE (Parents for a Better Curriculum for the Child). Eventually they decided to make dyslexia the central topic and theme of the film: “We thought this was the way to address Ishaan’s story, as a child who has learning disabilities and nobody understands what the problem is.”They began to spend time and work with dyslexic children in order to begin development of the screenplay, carefully protecting their identities in the final version of the screenplay. Gupte recalled that, “We began with a small workshop with eight or nine kids. A fun session, this became a space to observe their anxieties and the way their mind was working through art, paper and colours. And it was clear that their minds were thinking ‘out of the box’. This had to be respected, honoured and clapped for."

In looking for an actor to play the central figure of Ishaan, Gupte and Bhatia turned to Shiamak Davar’s Summer Funk workshops. Gupte had a number of boys audition for a scene in which they would informally describe how they would bunk school after being given a few scenarios. Of his decision to cast Darsheel Safary, Gupte recalls that, "it was a tough call. But Darsheel has the mischief in his eyes to be Ishaan. Everyone just naturally gravitated towards him."

Production

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan and Amole Gupte first met while they were in college where Khan states that he admired Gupte's abilities as an actor, writer, and painter. After Gupte and Bhatia put seven years of work into developing the Taare Zameen Par, Khan states that he became involved three years prior to the film's release, initially as a producer and actor (with Gupte as director). However, after a period of time, Khan became the film's director, a transition which Khan states was a mutual decision between himself and Gupte. Khan credits many aspects of the film to Gupte's involvement.

Taare Zameen Par was Khan's first experience as director/actor. Khan has admitted that the transition was challenging, stating that he while had always wanted to direct a film, he had to "jump in without any preparation." He felt fortunate, however, to be working with a "great bunch of kids, especially Darsheel, Sachet and Tanay Chheda."  Indeed, Khan was so popular with children during filming that "all the 43 children at the New Era High School in Panchgani (where they shot) wanted to sport his kind of hairstyle. An indulgent Aamir went to the extent of turning hairstylist and actually gave them their desired cut." Furthermore, Khan placed a high priority on the day to day needs of his child actors. According to a spokesman for the film, "Aamir took great care of the kids. He hired five experts to draw up their schedules, diet and recreational activities. Aamir never made them work for more than two hours at a stretch and that too with frequent breaks for refreshments. We even planned our shooting, alternating indoors with outdoors so that the children were not confined in one space. It was such a refreshing change from the way Bollywood works." Khan also noted that:

I think that working with children comes with its own challenges. It was great fun but it can be testing at times, especially when you have forty kids [...] It was important for us to work around the children and their energy and time constraints. So we made sure that the kids were happy and comfortable. We were pretty much around for them.

Title

Khan stated for an interview that the original working title for the film was not Taare Zameen Par and that he, Amol Gupte, and Deepa Bhatia discussed possibilities. Of the final title for the film, Khan noted:

Taare Zameen Par is a film about children and it is a film which celebrates the abilities of children. Taare Zameen Par is a title, which denotes that aspect. It is a title with a very positive feel to it. All the kids are special and wonderful. They are like stars on earth. This particular aspect gave birth to the title.

Release

Box-office

Box Office India declared Taare Zameen Par to be a Super Hit at the box office in India.  It was released on December 21, 2007 with 425 prints across India and eventually became the fifth top grossing movie of 2007 there.  In the UK it grossed £351,303 by its ninth week  and grossed Rs 131 crores worldwide.

Critical reception

Taare Zameen Par is a critically acclaimed film. Two critics from the BBC each gave the film a rave review. Manish Gajjar stated that the film "touches your heart and moves you deeply with its sterling performances. It is a film full of substance! " Furthermore, Jaspreet Pandohar noted that Taare Zameen Par is a "far cry from the formulaic masala flicks churned out by the Bollywood machine," and is "an inspirational story that is as emotive as it is entertaining; this is a little twinkling star of a movie."Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph described Taare Zameen Par as a "film that cuddles you, cajoles you and finally confronts you, it’s unlike anything you have seen before"while Kaveree Bamzai of India Today declared that it "is quite simply the best film of the year."  The film was also highly recommended by Sudhish Kamath of The Hindu who called it the "movie of the year.It’s not just out of the box, ‘Taare…’ is simply out of this world." In addition, Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India noted that "the story is simple and connects instantly with every adult and child in the auditorium, even as the climax is predictable and plays heavily on your emotions. But what uplifts the film is its very simplicity, sensitivity and its performances. On the one hand, there is the non-filmy script which doesn't make anyone the villain...even the adults are victims of ignorance [...] we recommend a mandatory viewing for all schools and all parents." Finally, Aprajita Anil of Screen gave the film four stars and stated: "Taare Zameen Par cannot be missed. Because it is different. Because it is delightful. Because it would make everyone think. Because it would help everyone grow. Because very rarely do performances get so gripping. And of course because the ‘perfectionist’ actor has shaped into a ‘perfectionist’ director."

Other critics differed in their perception of the film. Concerning the screenplay, Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN argued that the true power of the film lies in its "remarkable, rooted, rock-solid script which provides the landscape for such an emotionally engaging, heart-warming experience" while Gautaman Bhaskaran in The Hollywood Reporter suggested that "despite great performances, the movie suffers from a weak script." Bhaskaran, in later article on Bollywood cinema, described Taare Zameen Par as "well directed, splendidly performed (Darsheel Safary was exceptional as the dyslexic child) and wonderfully mounted." Another critic from The Hollywood Reporter, Lisa Tsering, liked the film, describing Taare Zameen Par as "powerful and moving"  while Derek Kelly of Variety, criticized the film for what he described as its "touchy-feely-ness" attention to "a special needs kid's plight." Kelly also disliked the film for being "so resolutely caring -- and devoid of real drama and interesting characters" that "it should have 'approved by the Dyslexia Assn.' stamped on the posters."

Taare Zameen Par tied with Chak De! India for best film (in India) of 2007 according to various Bollywood film directors such as Madhur Bhandarkar, David Dhawan, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Anurag Basu, and Sriram Raghavan. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap stated that, "Taare Zameen Par took me back to my hostel days. If you take away the dyslexia, it seems like my story. The film affected me so deeply that I was almost left speechless. After watching the film, I was asked how I liked 'Taare Zameen Par'. I could not talk as I was deeply overwhelmed."

2009 Academy Awards Best Foreign Film Submission

Taare Zameen Par was India's official entry for the 2009 Academy Awards Best Foreign Film (Oscars)  but was not chosen for the short list.  Jury member and director Krishna Shah stated that Taare Zameen Par was rejected from the Oscar shortlist due to its musical format and length. He also commented that he conveyed these critiques to Khan.  Khan, himself, stated in a separate interview with NDTV that he was "not surprised" that Taare Zameen Par was rejected from the Oscar shortlist  arguing that, "I don’t make films for awards. I make films for the audience. The audience, for which I have made the film, really loved it and the audiences outside India have also loved it. What I am trying to say is that film has been well loved across the globe and that for me it is extremely heartening and something that I give very high value to."

Others have also responded to the decision. Mahesh Manjrekar who portrayed the gangster Javed in Slumdog Millionaire (which won multiple awards at the 2009 Oscars) stated that, "I’m sad that Aamir’s Taare Zameen Par didn’t make it to the final round of the Oscars. I thought it to be way better than Slumdog..., without taking away anything from Boyle and the kids. But, Indian movies are underestimated there." In addition, Lisa Tsering, of The Hollywood Reporter, noted:

Three days before Chandni Chowk hit theaters in the U.S. and India, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its shortlist of nine films edging closer to a foreign-language nomination. India's submission, the powerful and moving Taare Zameen Par by Aamir Khan, didn't make the cut. Sadly, that film never will be seen by mainstream American audiences; yet Chandni Chowk is enjoying a hefty publicity push. If only Taare Zameen Par could have gotten its hands on that magic potato

International Dyslexia Association

Taare Zameen Par was screened in the United States (Seattle, Washington) on 29 October 2008 for the International Dyslexia Association. Khan noted that there were about 200 people in the audience and that he was "curious to see the response of a non Indian audience to what we had made." He felt some concern that the film was shown in a conference room rather than a cinema hall and was projected as a DVD rather than as a film. He stated that the film concluded to an "absolutely thunderous standing ovation" which "overwhelmed" him and that he "saw the tears streaming down the cheeks of the audience." Khan also noted that the reaction to the film "was exactly as it had been with audiences back home in India."

2008

2008 Filmfare Awards

* Won:Best Movie- Aamir Khan (producer)
* Won:Best Director - Aamir Khan
* Won:Best Story - Amole Gupte
* Won: Critics Award Best Performance - Darsheel Safary
* Won: Best Lyricist - Prasoon Joshi
* Nominated: Best actor in a leading role (male) - Darsheel Safary
* Nominated: Best actor in a supporting role (male) - Aamir Khan
* Nominated: Best actor in a supporting role (female) - Tisca Chopra

2008 Star Screen Awards (Screen Weekly Awards)

* Won:Best Director - Aamir Khan (shared with Shimit Amin for Chak De India)
* Won: Best Debut Director - Aamir Khan
* Won:Best Supporting Actor - Aamir Khan
* Won:Special Jury Award - Darsheel Safary
* Won:Best Child Artist - Darsheel Safary
* Won:Best Story - Amole Gupte
* Won:Best Dialogue - Amole Gupte
* Won:Best Lyricist - Prasoon Joshi
* Nominated: Best film
* Nominated: Best actor in a supporting role (female) - Tisca Chopra
* Nominated: Best playback singer (male) - Shankar Mahadevan (title song and Maa)
* Nominated: Best background music - Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
* Nominated: Best music - Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
* Nominated: Best screenplay - Amole Gupte
* Nominated: Best special effects - Tata Elxsi

2008 V. Shantaram Awards

* Won:Best Film (Gold)
* Won:Best Director (Silver) - Aamir Khan
* Won:Best Actor in a lead role - Darsheel Safary
* Won:Best Writer - Amole Gupte
* Nominated: Best artist in a supporting role - Tisca Chopra
* Nominated: Best music - Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
* Nominated: Best debut director - Aamir Khan
* Nominated: Best debut artist in a leading role - Darsheel Safary

2008 Zee Cine Awards

* Won:Zee Cine Award for Best Director - Aamir Khan
* Won:Zee Cine Award for Most Promising Director - Aamir Khan
* Won:Zee Cine Award for Best Lyricist - Prasoon Joshi, Maa
* Won:Zee Cine Award - Critics' Choice Best Actor - Darsheel Safary
* Won:Most Promising Debut (Child Artiste) - Darsheel Safary
* Won:Zee Cine Award for Best Story - Amole Gupte
* Nominated: Best film
* Nominated: Best actor in a supporting role (male) - Aamir Khan
* Nominated: Best actor in a supporting role (female) - Tisca Chopra