Taare Zameen Par--Stars on Earth

What's the purpose of Cinema? Issit just entertainment? Given the immense power of the moving/talking pictures I guess its many things rolled into one..

देखों इन्हें भी ओश कि बूंदें

पत्तों कि गोड में आस्मा से कूदे

अंग्राई ले फिर, करवत बदल कर

नाजूक सी मोती, हंश दे फीसल कर

खो ना जाए यह तारे ज़मीन पर

[Title song: Taare Zameen Par by Shankar Ehsaan Loy]

Notwithstanding the media blitzkreig of OSO and the equally potent daisy-cutters of Saawariya one film has caught my attention nevertheless. Although Aamir Khan and a 'special' child seems like an unlikely candidate to compete against the charisma of SRK and the wonder-stroke of Bhansali... but there is some earthy, warm feeling about Taare Zameen Par... and it has managed to climb to the Top of my "Must Watch" list. Sorry SRK and SLB but I'm sick of seeing all of you everytime I flick through my newspaper, click my TV remote. Being a Marketing student myself makes me abhor over-the-top marketing... as I believe that a good product doesn't need Kill Bill publicity and gimmick... one suggestion is to let your film speak and stand out on its merit.

Directed by the extremely talented and critically acclaimed actor Aamir Khan Taare Zameen Par is slated for a late December release. It promises to be a sensitive, poignant and 'realistic' movie about a 'special' child and the world around him.

Everyone of us has got a story within us but a few of us has the courage to paint the canvas of that story with our imagination, grit and the motivation to walk down the road long forgotten. How many of the present film makers would have the courage to make a film about a dyslexic child and his teacher? These kind of storeis are like pariahs to the mainstream film fraternity... which is mainly due to the very commercial nature of our films as well as the general public. The number of Indian commercial movies without mindless blood and gore, foreign locations, dhinchak item numbers and slap stick comedies can be counted on our finger tips. But off late experimental movies makers have tried to break the shackles with wonderful although small budget movies like Being Cyrus, Bheja Fry, Black Friday, Hazaroon Khwaishein Aisi. In my opinion Taare Zameen Par is a step in the right direction.

Soulful music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy and a seemingly sensitive and innocent story with the added charisma of Aamir Khan and a host of kids has managed to attract attention of the discerning people. Although it pales in comparison to OSO and Saawariya in terms of marketing blitz but I am sure every good film speaks for itself and sometimes word-of-mouth publicity can work wonders... provided the movie is well made. We've all heard from the critics and the aam-janta about some movies being 'arty' type and some being typical 'bollywood' masala type... but what we fail to understand is that a film can either can be a good film or a bad film... Give me a good 'art' film and i'll watch it many times over and give me a bad 'masala' film and I won't even care to watch it [eg. RGV ki AAG being the most recent example].

Taare Zameen Par from what I've read and seen is about childhood, innocence and a-day-in-the-life kind of story of special kids. If they manage to protray even half of what the promos and trailers promises then I think our society would learn to treat these 'special' kids with more compassion and understanding. Sensitivity and a humane touch is what these special kids wants and deserves and hats off to Aamir Khan and his team for believing in such a poignant story.