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[Don’t read the first paragraph if you haven’t watched the movie and planning to watch it in near future]

Just finished watching ‘Taare Zameen Par’, a movie directed and acted by Amir Khan. Nice movie. Good storyline. Not a typical ibrish zibrish hindi movie. It’s about an eight/nine year old youngster named Ishaan, who suffers from dyslexia (learning disability) and dislikes school. Instead of putting his efforts into studies, he is more curious about colors, fishes, birds and other so-known unimportant things to adult eyes. Due to his difficulty for reading and writing he cannot seem to get anything right in class. He always fails his exams and he doesn’t even feel bad about it. He is just carelessly joyful in his own little world. On the other hand, his elder brother is a very bright student in the school. So at some point his father gets frustrated and sends Ishaan to a boarding school. Over there Ishaan misses his mother and starts to get depressed. But things start to change when the temporary art teacher Ram (Amir Khan) joins the boarding school. He begins to notice that Ishaan is unhappy and not performing well. He also discovers that, Ishaan is suffering from dyslexia. So Ram starts to help Ishaan and eventually Ishaan improves his condition and the movie comes to a happy ending.

Well, this movie really took me down to the memory lane. I was able to relate myself with few incidents in this movie. Except for not being a dyslexic kid, Ishaan’s some activities and act reminded me of my school days in University Laboratory School. I was also forced to stand outside the classroom many a times for not doing my homework, for coming late, for talking in the classroom, for not bringing a particular book, for not paying attention to the teacher, for playing pen-fight (yes!!!pen fight was one hell of a game) and what not. Our uniform was sky-blue shirt, navy-blue pant and white sneakers. In the assembly, we were pulled out from the line and made to stand out and punished if the pant was too blackish or grayish or if the shirt was not blue enough. I remember my friend Sadat, I don’t know if he was color-blind or something. Every single day there was an issue with his uniform and we all knew that he was doing it intentionally just to piss off the class teacher. The scene where the teacher throws a piece of chalk at Ishaan, I have seen this part so many times in my life. I knew he was going to throw the chalk at him just by the way he was holding it. If fact, I had some teachers who weren’t that famous for teaching, but for their chalk throwing skills. Even in my college, I had a chemistry professor (BidyaSagar Sir) who used to throw chalks at students and his aim was quite good. :p So, it was not bad remembering all those childhood memories even though many of them weren’t very pleasant. :p

When the movie started, by looking at all those animated cartoon characters I thought this would be a kiddy movie. But no, it is not. It not only talks about childhood but also about being different in a society where everyone has to perform the same. I was amazed by the kid’s acting. Simply ‘AWESOME’! Any other kid might have completely overdone the part. His acting is so natural, you don’t even realize he’s acting.

Yes! This is another nice thing about this movie. They didn’t overdo it. There were no villains in the movie. Class toppers weren’t shown as jerks. Elder brother wasn’t necessarily a bully. Instead he was protective and caring. The mother was also supportive and protecting. The dad sometimes was too harsh on him, but it was not due to his lack of love. He was just not paying enough attention to understand his child’s mind and feelings. In boarding school Ishaan even had a nice friend (I think his name was Rajan).

Anyway, let’s talk about the morals this movie tries to teach the viewers. It shows how essential it is for parents to understand their children. It suggests them to be more sensitive, understanding and supportive of their children and their interests and abilities rather than following a one-size-fits-all policy. Kids are kids. They are not race horses. Sometimes parents get upset with silly matters and they just keep pushing their kids to achieve or win something. We have to keep in mind that every child is different. Not necessarily every child turns out to be a doctor or an engineer or a singer. Parents need to understand this. Different persons have different capabilities, limits, interests and that’s what makes us humans. Every child is special no matter how he or she looks, how he or she behaves, how he or she performs in the school, how sharp or dim they are. I think when you expect too much from someone they may become discouraged as they know they can’t deliver on your expectations. On the other hand, if you expect too less, they may well meet your expectations and deliver very little. There should be a balance and every parent should know it.

Anyway, I didn’t know that Leonardo Da Vinci could not write the number 7. That was something new.

The whole movie has made wonderfully, except for this one shot (in my opinion), where Ishaan is sitting in the classroom and looking at a mother-bird feeding her baby birds. This scene just didn’t fit. Somehow the shot looked phony. They could’ve done it better.

I watched the movie online and it didn’t have the subtitle. My hindi knowledge is limited so I kind of failed to understand few dialogues. Like when Ishaan’s dad comes to Amir Khan and talks about his wife surfing the internet and finding something. Then Amir Khan replies and says something about ‘Solomon Island’? I have not quite got the conversation.

If you want to watch it online, you can watch it from here. They also have other hindi movies.

Oh, another thing. I went to taarezameenpar.com and was checking out the casts. The kid who acts as Ishaan’s elder brother, his real name is Sachet Engineer. lol. Ya, I couldn’t believe it at first, too. Never thought ‘Engineer’ could be someone’s family name. Wired, huh?

I don’t write for many days and then when I start to write about something, I just can’t stop :p (I guess I am suffering from over-tyslexia or something :p)

BTW, I loved Amir Khan and the kid’s mohawk type hairstyle.
Oh, and also loved this song, ‘Maa’.

Song: Maa
Artist: Shankar Mahadevan
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Main Kabhi Batlata Nahin (I’ve never told you)
Par Andhere Se Darta Hoon Main Maa (How scared I am of the dark)
Yun To Main,Dikhlata Nahin (I’ve never told you)
Teri Parwaah Karta Hoon Main Maa (How much I care for you)
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata, Hain Na Maa (But you know, don’t you, ma?)
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata,,Meri Maa (You know everything, my Ma)

Bheed Mein Yun Na Chodo Mujhe (Don’t leave me alone in crowds)
Ghar Laut Ke Bhi Aa Naa Paoon Maa (I’ll lose my way back home)
Bhej Na Itna Door Mujkko Tu (Don’t send me to places far away)
Yaad Bhi Tujhko Aa Naa Paoon Maa (Where you won’t even remember me)
Kya Itna Bura Hoon Main Maa (Am I so bad, Ma?)
Kya Itna Bura Meri Maa (Am I so bad, Ma?)

Jab Bhi Kabhi Papa Mujhe (When sometimes Papa swings me)
Jo Zor Se Jhoola Jhulate Hain Maa (Too high in the air)
Meri Nazar Dhoondhe Tujhe (My eyes search for you, hoping)
Sochu Yahi Tu Aa Ke Thaamegi Maa (You’ll come and hold me safe)

Unse Main Yeh Kehta Nahin (I don’t tell him)
Par Main Seham Jaata Hoon Maa (But I get petrified)
Chehre Pe Aana Deta Nahin (I don’t let it show)
Dil Hi Dil Mein Ghabraata Hoon Maa (But my heart sinks)
Tujhe Sab Hai Pata Hai Naa Maa (You know everything, don’t you Ma?)
Tujhe Sab Hai Pata Meri Maa (You know everything, my Ma)

Main Kabhi Batlata Nahin (I’ve never told you)
Par Andhere Se Darta Hoon Main Maa (How scared I am of the dark)
Yun To Main,Dikhlata Nahin (I’ve never told you)
Teri Parwaah Karta Hoon Main Maa (How much I care for you)
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata, Hain Na Maa (But you know, don’t you, ma?)
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata,,Meri Maa (You know everything, my Ma)

[lyrics source: taarezameenpar.com]