Taare Zameen Par

A film like Taare Zameen Par has been long due. And I should have guessed that someone like Aamir Khan would bring it to the world. One of the few (good) men around with the courage to be unconventional and question the norm. And of course no one else could've played the role of the compassionate teacher better.

Ishaan is 8 years old. In the third grade, he's a pretty good mix of your average kid that age - he creates mischief, pulls out fish from the school drain, laughs a lot, paints, plays with the street dogs, blows into his glass milk.... nothing unusual there right?

But there is. He doesn't spell well. And is in the third grade for the second year consecutively.

For the vast majority of this ignorant world, Ishaan is just stupid and insolent. What this vast majority doesn't understand is that he suffers from a disorder called dyslexia. Its not something that can't be fixed, but it needs three things to overcome it - love, patience and support.

None of which, ofcourse, were extended to Ishaan by his parents or teachers or the society in general. They didn't know what dyslexia meant. They only knew that he wasn't performing like the other children. And they knew of only one solution around that - force, humiliate, intimidate, threaten, abuse till he ... ? spells right? How?

The tale is told in a heart-wrenching manner. Darsheel Safary who plays Ishaan (Inoo for some) moves effortlessly from naughty, angry, desperate, arrogant, helpless, happy, petrified and a range of emotions that a misunderstood and lonely child might go through. He is indeed a gifted child actor and has been chosen well.

Inoo is sent away to a boarding school after his parents give up on disciplining him. At the new school, the child's sense of self goes from bad to worse. He battles with the guilt of being a punished child and the pain of being separated from his family. He recoils into himself and tumbles into a well of depression and withdrawal.

While Ishaan continues to be a 'gone case' for most, there is someone who sees through the failure and investigates. Ram Shankar Nikumbh, played by the ever reliable Mr. Khan enters the scene and breathes some fresh air into Inoo's life - recognizing his weaknesses, but more importantly, acknowledging his strengths - his genius artistic ability.

Slowly, patiently the teacher works with student, loving, supporting and helping him scrape through the other subjects, but encouraging him to develop his real talent.

The movie might have picked a topic and focussed on a particular issue. But there is a universal message in the film for all of us who interact with children - they are special. In their world, magic, laughter, dance, love - happens all the time. And we have no right to take that away from them. In fact it is we who need to learn from children - how to see miracles in the mundane, how to create, how to live in innocence and trust.

Thank you Taare Zameen Par - good lessons for us adults there.