Sitaare Zameen Par Review

Sitaare Zameen Par, the sequel to Taare Zameen Par (based on dyslexia), has nothing to do with the original - except for piggybacking on the name. This one is actually a remake of the 2018 Spanish drama Campeones (based on ID, intellectual disability like Down Syndrome, Autism and Invisible Autism). Like Taare Zameen Par, it too attempts to both edify and entertain.

In fact, most box office hits that Aamir Khan has been associated with - whether as part of the cast or crew - including Rang De Basanti, PK and 3 Idiots, tended to entertain while spotlighting one societal issue at a time, with Delhi Belly being a rare exception that focused squarely on entertainment.

Sitaare Zameen Par follows in the same vein - the intentions seem noble, and the film does create an atmosphere of inclusivity by tagging persons with intellectual disabilities with the message "sabka apna apna normal hai" (rough translation: all are normal in their own ways). However, for some reason, it doesn't quite match the emotional highs of Taare...

Gulshan Arora (Aamir Khan), an assistant basketball coach, gets suspended for punching his boss, and is almost jailed for drunk driving and crashing into a police vehicle. But since it's his first offence and he is a skilled coach, the court gives him community service instead. He is assigned to train a team of players with intellectual disabilities for a national tournament. As he works with them, he grows as a person and learns important life lessons.

Arora enters the screen with an air of arrogance rooted in privilege and patriarchy, and displays apathy towards those he considers lesser beings. From there on, Sitaare... effectively establishes a typical Indian character who is unaware of intellectual disabilities and dismisses individuals with ID as paagal (insane).

However, the subjects themselves - the persons with intellectual disabilities - are not properly developed or explored. For instance, in Taare Zameen Par, the character of Ishaan had a clear arc. His isolation from regular schooling, family and friends, followed by his relocation to a special school and the eventual discovery of his true talent, created a deeply empathetic and emotionally engaging journey for the audience.

In contrast, Sitaare... presents an ensemble of individuals, each given only a few seconds of backstory. They are then grouped together as the basketball team, Sitaare. From that point on, the film focuses more on their individual quirks and the comic situations that arise, rather than delve into their emotional depth.

The message of the movie is clear: inclusivity. But it doesn't quite manage to convincingly convey that people with intellectual disabilities are full of life, employable and capable of being independent. In fact, the film doesn't even showcase their individual excellences as members of Team Sitaare. Their journey to success is shown in just a few quick frames, making it feel unearned.

Though it's a remake of Campeones, it takes several creative liberties to "Indianise" the content, and the result is not always pretty.

Acting is where the film truly shines. For the first time, Aamir Khan casts an ensemble of real individuals with intellectual disabilities (Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Aayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishab Jain, Naman Misra and Simran Mangeshkar). Helping them understand their characters and emote naturally is no small feat, and director R S Prasanna nails it. These specially-abled actors genuinely shine - none of the performances feels rehearsed or unnatural.

Aamir Khan stands out early on as the brash, insensitive and politically incorrect coach. He convincingly portrays a man slowly evolving while maintaining a hint of his trademark brazenness. But towards the end, his performance leans a bit into melodrama, bordering on overacting.

Genelia Deshmukh makes a solid comeback as Suneeta, Arora's wife. While she never officially quit acting, since 2012 her roles have been mostly cameos across a dozen films. This is her first substantial character in years, and she plays it well.

Dolly Ahluwalia, Brijendra Kala and Gurpal Singh - veteran character actors - are effortlessly funny and endearing. However, their roles don't contribute much to the core narrative.

Ram Sampath's background score works well, but the songs by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are quite forgettable. Their attempt to repurpose Aamir's own tracks including Papa Kehte Hain and DK Bose falls flat. The dialogues are however witty and memorable. A couple of sample lines: "Kismat chromosome mein likhi hoti hai, haathon ki lakeeron mein nahin," and
"Sabka apna apna normal."

The cinematography is strong, too - each frame is thoughtfully composed.

Overall, Sitaare Zameen Par will entertain you, but it won't move you. It's a decent one-time, full-family watch.