Like Stars On Earth

Taare Zameen Par (Like Stars On Earth) is a beautiful, moving film about a young creative artist boy who gets sent to boarding school, because his parents don't understand him. They think he is being naughty, disobedient and don't understand why he cannot read. The Boy is constantly compared to his 'A'star big brother. Anyway, the most beauty of this film, shows relationships between mother and child, friendship, all forms of love. The music is just brilliant. Even though, Aamir Khan (from film Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Ghajini, 3 Idiots, Rang De Basanti) stars, the full focus goes on the boy. This story is about dyslexia. The understanding behind it and about parents not understanding it. It is not an illness. With help and patient, it can be solved. This film makes you appreciate life. Like Stars On Earth [DVD ]

I bought this on the recommendation of my sister in Australia. My 6 year old, 11 year old, husband, my mother and myself watched this and we were overcome by emotions of frustration, sadness and happiness. The actors were superb and believable. It does have subtitles which didn't detract from the film at all other than occasionally having to read them for my 6 year old who struggled to keep up. He asked many questions which was good. I would strongly and highly recommend this as it can't help but touch you.

Well, OK, not ONLY for parents (I'm not one), but it touches on themes closest to the hearts of parents (I would imagine). It's quite hard for me to categorize this film, as I haven't seen many Indian movies, avoid Disney productions like the plague and mainly watch 'World Cinema' titles with more adult (not in the smutty sense, I hasten to add) themes. This particular film deals with a young Indian school boy and his fight to overcome certain learning difficulties, with the help of a sympathetic teacher. Too much more about the plot, I should not say. The title implies that every child is special (which all parents seem to feel about their own children anyway, hence my earlier reference to them) and I think that this point is made amply well in the end. I found it to be an educational (slightly) and ultimately uplifting film, which was a little 'syrupy' in places (lots of male tears shed), but none the worse for it. Worth a watch!

Great performance from young star. Insights into another culture, really nice photography and use of music (with one exception) and colour. Could use some much stricter editing. Overlong by about thirty minutes. Ending utterly predictable.

A powerful portrayal of what a good teacher ought to be: caring and seeking to meet the needs of all the students in their care; diligent and helping each student to reach their potential. This film is a must-see. The art teacher called Nikumbh who helps 8-year-old Ishaan overcome his problem is simply amazing; he does not give up on this 'problem' child while every other teacher has! Shame on them, but well done Nikumbh. If more teachers were like Nikumbh the world would be a better place for the many children who struggle daily at school all over the world. The strongest message is caring: show a child you care and they will thrive, no matter what their 'intelligence' is. I loved the story, loved the music, loved the songs that were all all in Hindi. I don't keep many films but I shall be keeping this as one of my favourites.

"Taare zameen par" (Stars on Earth) tells the story of a wonderfully imaginative, creative, sweet boy whose undetected dyslexia leaves him suffering the wrath of hostile parents and teachers, leaving him on the brink of complete psychological breakdown. It is only when a sensitive temporary art teacher enters his life that his tormented life is effectively saved. Without giving too much away, this film is made with great depth and sensitivity and it shines a light on an all-too-familiar trait of Indian society (and of others, of course) and challenges the obsession which parents might have of forcing children to a mould of their own making in the obsessive pursuit of "success" while completely ignoring the individual and unique character, abilities and needs of their child. Both heart-wrenching and heart-warming, it is hard to imagine anyone not liking this film - excellent!

A "must see" film - if you can't cope with subtitles, the dvd gives you the option of seeing it dubbed in English (although I much prefer the Hindi version with English subtitles). A dreamer of a boy, the son of pushy parents, is failing at school. The first half of the film sees him gradually becoming more and more withdrawn, driven away from the real world by the harsh and ignorant behaviour of the adults around him. Finally, just as you despair for him, the right teacher comes along. This film is thought-provoking and thought-changing. The central performance by Darsheel is astounding and I have never admired Aamir Khan more, both for his direction in eliciting that performance and for his generosity in throttling back his own performance to ensure that it is the boy and not Aamir who is always at the centre of the film. This is a film to watch again and again.

Taare Zameen Par is honestly one of the most beautiful films i have ever seen. I have watched this about five times in Hindi. I only know english and didn't understand a word, but the film has such a wonderful meaning, despite the different language the meaning is the same. I am Dyslexic and struggled through school not being regongnised, all i wanted to do like Ishaan was draw, paint and create, and i was fasinated by the colours and things around me. When i look at Ishaan i see myself. It wasn't until an art teacher believed in me that i learnt i wasn't stupid and began to believe in myself. This film has a great meaning to me. I am overjoyed that it is now available to by in uk. I bought it as soon as i knew. An amazing film

Principales vedettes : Darsheel Safari (enfant), Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma. Début : Un enfant a de gros problèmes en classe… mais pas seulement là… . Ce film est une fiction mais traite d’un problème qui perturbe certains enfants “dans la vraie vie” : il fait donc aussi un peu documentaire. Par certains passages il est assez mélo, par d’autres peut-être exagérément optimiste… . Parental guidance: Contains mild language, violence and some emotional scenes. General viewing but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. Film censor’s office: FIT FOR VIEWING GENERALLY but, in the case of a child under 12 years, under PARENTAL GUIDANCE Doublage : Le film est entièrement doublé en anglais (sauf les chansons). Sous-titres : En anglais exclusivement. Images : Elles sont belles. C’est bien filmé. Musiques : Sympas. Les paroles des chansons sont sous-titrées. Chorégraphies : Aucune. Suppléments : Il y a : - Un premier DVD pour le film (qu’on peut voir en écoutant un commentaire en anglais de Aamir Khan -ce commentaire n’est pas sous-titré-). - un second DVD pour les suppléments (en hindi et en anglais) : un débat sur la dyslexie (43 minutes), making of du film (1 heure), quelques scènes coupées (20 minutes), des pubs pour ce film (12 minutes), environs 120 photos prises “autour du film”. Tous les suppléments sont sous-titrés en anglais. - un CD de certaines musiques (majoritairement instrumentales) du film. 22 morceaux pour environs 50 minutes d’écoute (le plus court ne fait que 32 secondes !). Avis perso : Très bon film un peu trop mélo ( ?)… mais il faut se mettre à la place d’un enfant qui voit tous ses copains arriver à faire facilement de nombreuses choses auxquelles il ne comprend strictement rien ! Cela est assez bien rendu dans le film. Il y a des passages un peu longs mais qui expliquent bien ce qu’est la dyslexie. Je pense que beaucoup de personnes apprendront de nombreux “détails” intéressants sur ce désordre. Pour conclure : J’ai payé cet ensemble 4,77€ port compris. Le film et ses suppléments constituent une excellente introduction à la dyslexie sévère et aux problèmes qui lui sont associés. Tout enseignant qui comprend l’anglais devrait le voir !

I say that as a fan of all the Khans except Salman! As anyone whose read even one of my reviews here I make no bones of the fact that I'm a huge fan of Hrithik Roshan and Amitabh Bachchan, and Mr. A. Khan is right up there with them. He might not be as tall as both, or have the dancing skills of one, but when it comes to movies his talent, and his intellect, are lethal. In fact, if you read anything about the man at all you will notice the phrase "Mr. Perfectionist" in place of his name in at least two places. But lots of people are talented and intelligent, what sets Mr. A. Khan a part from his most of his fellow Khans is that he'll take on things that a 'typical Bollywood Star' just doesn't do. Whether it's a Revolution against the British using Cricket in Lagaan, Anniversary Edition with a potential romance with an English woman, a man who ruthlessly hunts down the gangsters who killed his girlfriend and destroyed his short term memory in Ghajini , the man takes risks. He melts into the skins of his characters flawed or heroic with no thought to his 'brand' because his brand is passion and perfection. From Dil chahta hai to the upcoming Dhoom 3 there isn't anything he won't take on if he has a passion for it. Fortunately for all lovers of great films, he is first a foremost a lover of movies and decided acting in them just wasn't enough. "Like Stars On Earth, Every Child Is Special" is a directorial debut and it combines the two great passions of Mr. A. Khan, movie making, and social issues. The modern world of today is fiercely competitive and nowhere is that more inculcated into a society than in the schoolroom, by the time a child is out of the second grade these days college is already being pounded into their minds. Don't get me wrong, I wish I could've finished college. But what happens when a child doesn't live up to the "standards" set by our modern ways of thinking? What happens when the child is misunderstood, and what is thought of as laziness or naughtiness, is actually a cry for help? What happens when expectations are so high and failure is the ultimate disgrace. What truly defines success? These are all questions that are put forth in this film and handled with a truly elegant and refined manner. It's not an original story, but The Bard himself never had an original story in his entire life. Ishaan Awasthi, is an eight year old boy from a middleclass family in Mumbai, and he is a "Problem Child" with a capital P-C. His highest scores on tests are two's and three's out of twenty. He's belligerent, defiant, inattentive, and wherever he goes chaos seems to follow. His teachers are fed up not wanting to have him in the third grade for the third time. His father, goes around roaring like a lion convinced that his youngest son is destined to be a failure in life. His mother wavers between acute frustration, despair, and worry for her beloved child. At her wits end, she cannot understand why all her love, teaching, and effort, seem to do nothing to improve Ishaan's grades, or his behavior. His older brother Yohan, is a top student and athlete, everything Ishaan is not. Yohan is the only person in Ishaan's life that isn't angry with him. To make matters worse, Ishaan doesn't know why he is the way he is and the few times he tries to express his problem he's greeted with anger and ridicule. Our cast of characters may not know what the problem is, but we the audience are hit in the face with it in the first frame. Disney did an incredible job with the animations here, the colors and the chaos of flipping and floating letters, numbers, and sentences in the images builds frustration in we the viewers as we're immersed into to the clamor of Ishaan's mind. It's overwhelming, and combining that with the pressures from the outside world, we're thrown into the deep end of Ishaan's suffering. But we're also thrown into his genius. I won't tell anymore about the story because you can figure out where it's going. But, I will say that the performances and direction in this movie are superlative. Darsheel Safary, is... wow I can't think of an adjective to describe just how good he is. For a *then* nine year old to match the intensity, and naturalness of his costars in his film debut is astounding! This young man (now around 15) has got the ability to use his eyes to let you deep into his soul, and I personally was struck by the depth of his sensitivity and understanding, and the fact that he could be downright unlikable in one scene where he deliberately troubles his mother. His naturalness never wanes even for a moment. Now that he's a young man, I hope that he has amazing success no matter where life takes him. I also hope that he's proud of this film until his last breath, it's a bigger accomplishment than most people will have in their whole lives. A super protagonist needs an equally good antagonist to truly shine and Vipin Sharma is the perfect foil here; as the success obsessed, driven, father. There are times in this movie when he arouses the very deepest hatred. My mom literally said "This man is evil" something that shocked me because she raised two kids with special needs, and if anyone knows the strain and helplessness that goes with that it's her. I replied, "Ammi, he's not capable of understanding what Ishaan is going through anymore than Ishaan can understand his letters right now." Now, don't get me wrong, that doesn't absolve his cruelty but who wants to sit through a three hour movie where you have a father of a young boy that you hate from beginning to end? The script, Mr. A. Khan's direction, and Mr. Sharma's performance is layered with moments where you feel compassion and you grieve for the fact that the man is so limited in his mindset, and how painful it is as he slowly comes to terms with the fact that his entire belief system is damaging his child. A truly great role that enhances Darsheel Safary's performance. Tisca Chopra, is an actress I'm totally unfamiliar with thus far. Her performance as Ishaan's mother I felt was pretty flawless, she inhabited the role of a middleclass housewife and a devoted but frazzled mother in a natural and unaffected way. The bond between mother and son, felt genuine and warm which is the perfect counterbalance to the relationship between father and son. Special shout out to Sachet Engineer as Yohan. The perfect son, who wishes he wasn't quite so perfect. It's such a minor role, but it's vital, because in the first half of the film he's the positive voice, the cheerleader for Ishaan. Without it, the first half would be far too heavy and heart-wrenching. Tanay Chheda, is another boy who befriends Ishaan and struggles physically. I have to say, that kid deserves lots of applause for wearing the leg brace even though he's healthy in real life. I had to wear the same brace at that age for real and they hurt. So I want his performance appreciated despite it's brevity. Mr. A. Khan's performance is of course, up to his reputation. So, let's talk about his Direction... He's a part of the school of directors in Hindi cinema that blends the wonderful traditions of the past, and the more polished narrative style of the modern day. And why not, he's produced movies by the great Ashutosh Gowariker, and worked under the direction of Farhan Akhtar? Add to that, a venerable Bollywood pedigree, and his complete dedication and it's a home run; or perhaps I should say he's hit a sixer! He put together a fantastic team and each frame is carefully thought out and a true labor of love. If there is one area Mr. A. Khan doesn't not quite excel it's in dance but that works here. And to give the man serious kudos he's honest and doesn't take credit for his dance number when he didn't direct it. Music: The dynamic trio of Shankar, Loy, and Ehsaan craft a truly perfect complimentary score to the movie. The songs are beautiful, the melodies that fit every part of the narrative. But make no mistake, the songs do not carry this movie as they do in other Bollywood films. "Bum Bum Bole" is my mom's favorite and I don't blame her, it's a joyful celebration of carefree innocence. But my personal favorite is "Maa" so perfect for the bond in childhood, but if one is blessed, then it becomes even more true in adulthood. I can't recommend this movie enough and my three disc set comes with some exceptional goodies... 1. Disc 1 the movie with a Hindi Track but also dubbed in English. I first saw this movie on Netflix with the Hindi Track and used the subtitles which you can also choose. But I also watched the English dubbed version. It was extremely well done, but truthfully I prefer the Hindi. 2.Disc 2 special features with full subtitles available. Deleted scenes, a making of documentary which you should watch, and a panel with Aamir Khan and prominent teachers, neurologists, and experts on dyslexia and other learning and behavioral problems that effect children such as ADD ADHAD Downs Syndrome, and even Cerebral Palsy. It's mainly meant to reach out to people who hesitate to act when their children have difficulties, and a not-too-subtle nudge to the educators of India to look beyond the typical "the child is naughty or lazy" attitude when they see a child struggling in their class. Still, it's worth a look. Aamir Khan is one of India's most visible and prominent humanitarians of this decade even making the cover of Time Magazine and it's list of 100 most influential people. There's also trailers, still shots, to look through. 3. Disc 3 is the entire soundtrack in it's glory. To be extra sweet they also include mini-prints of the paintings in the film. Everything is exceptional in quality and the price extremely reasonable so do not skimp. I can't recommend this film enough and after the last two Bollywood movies I reviewed this has re-ignited my passion and my obsession.

todo el mundo debería verla

Fazit: Wundervoller, geruhsamer Film um einen sympathischen, verträumten, eigenwilligen Neunjährigen mit rockig-bluesiger Musik und ein paar reizvollen, unaufdringlichen Spezialeffekten. Üblicher Bollywood-Kitsch erst ganz am Ende. 4,5 Sterne. Stärken: - Dem bezaubernden Jungen Darsheel Safary könnte ich stundenlang bei seinen Träumereien und Streifzügen zusehen. Ohne betont "süß" zu sein, rührt er subtil ans Gemüt - da sicherte sich sogar Disney die Videorechte für Nordamerika. (Detail am Rand: Amol Gupte, der die Geschichte zusammen mit seiner Frau Deepa Bhatia entwickelte und 5000 Schüler als Hauptdarsteller testete, führte in den ersten Tagen Regie; erst dann übernahm Aamir Khan - laut Khan beschädigte Gupte beim Dreh sein eigenes Buch, und so wurde Gupte kaltgestellt und mit dem Titel "creative director" abgespeist. Khan erklärte den Verzicht auf einen neuen externen Regisseur: Bis der verpflichtet und eingearbeitet sei, sei Hauptdarsteller Darsheel Safary aus der Rolle herausgewachsen - und auf Darsheel wollte Khan zurecht nicht verzichten.) - Die Filmfamilie wirkt sehr realistisch. Die bekannte TV-Serien-Darstellerin Tisca Chopra gibt hier eine moderne, nachvollziehbar besorgte und letztlich ratlose Erziehungsberechtigte ohne die Klischees und Unterordnung typischer Hindi-Filmmütter wie Kerr, Bachchan oder Jalal. Vipin Sharma zeigt den hart arbeitenden, fordernden, von Ehrgeiz und teils Wut zerfressenen Vater, er blickt seinen Sohn ein oder zweimal allzu dämonisch an. Insgesamt könnte ich dem Jungen und seiner Familie auch einen ganzen Film lang zusehen. Den Wechsel ins Internat, zu Aamir Khan und letzlich in bekannte Bollywood-Fahrwasser bräuchte ich nicht. - Die Kamera zeigt sehr gefällige Bilder - auch sehr überraschende aus der Perspektive eines verträumten Kindes -, ohne aufdringlich beeindrucken zu wollen. Schönes Kino. - Die Spezialeffekte sind ausnahmsweise sinnvoll, nicht schrill und überflüssig. Sie illustrieren hier sehr schön die "tanzenden Buchstaben" vor den Augen eines Kindes mit Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwäche und seine Fantasien als Raumschiffkapitän. Teils erscheinen die Effekte noch einen Tick zu glatt und wie Fremdkörper, aber insgesamt wirken sie sachdienlich und fantasievoll integriert. Interessant: In sämtlichen Werbe-Ausschnitten fürs indische Fernsehen und für die Kinos sieht man die Special Effects nicht. - Die Musik von Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy klingt oft modern, rockig-bluesig mit einer rauhen, einsamen Stimme; sie animiert nicht zum Mittanzen, setzt sich aber im Kopf fest und erinnert wirklich gelegentlich an Gesangsnummern von Pink Floyd. Die Stimme beim traurigen "Maa" war nur eine Probeaufnahme des Komponisten, als Beispiel für den externen Sänger, wurde dann jedoch auch für den endgültigen Film beibehalten; dieses etwas Rauhe, Livige steht der Musik sehr gut. - Die Bonus-DVD ist hochinteressant (ich hatte die in Indien verkaufte DVD-Box mit zwei DVDs, Audio-CD und zusätzlichen Heften). In den Interviews und Hintergrundszenen gibt sich Hauptdarsteller Darsheel Safary höchst extrovertiert, selbstbewusst und tanzfreudig, er wurde ja auch in einer Tanzgruppe entdeckt. Um so enttäuschter war er, als er in der einzigen Tanznummer des Films nicht mittanzen durfte, sondern traurig die Schulbank drücken musste. Aamir Khan erzählt sehr wortreich, aber teils auch selbstkritisch in gut verständlichem Englisch und kommentiert auch die herausgelöschten Szenen; sie wurden teils mit Blick auf die Gesamtlänge des Films wieder gestrichen und sind tatsächlich verzichtbar, dennoch finde ich auch diese Schnipsel sehr atmosphärisch und hätte sie gern im fertigen Werk gesehen. Wir erfahren, dass Khan häufiger gegen den Rat seines Teams oder des Testpublikums entschied. Ein witziges Detail: In der Szene, in der Aamir Khan Ishaans Eltern über Dyslexie aufklärt, kullerte ihm beim Dreh eine echte Träne übers Gesicht; sie wurde am Computer entfernt. Man lernt auch die Lehrer der wirklichen Schulen kennen, in denen TZP entstand. Toll, wie gut die Grundschüler dort Englisch sprechen. Schwächen: - Manche Darsteller spielen etwas überzogen oder sogar karikaturenhaft. Dazu gehören die gouvernantenhafte, verbissene Englischlehrerin im ersten Teil ebenso wie später mehrere Internatspauker (Aamir Khan sagte, er erinnere sich an seine eigenen Lehrer auch nur als Karikaturen). Bemerkenswert jedoch: Der Bruder der Hauptfigur sammelt lauter Bestnoten in der Schule, wird aber nicht als unsympathischer Streber gezeigt. - Aamir Khan wirkt wie immer unsympathisch, angespannt und angestrengt konzentriert. Dazu kommt in diesem Film seine alberne Gockeltolle (auch wenn man dann diverse Internatsschüler beim Abschlussfest ähnlich aufzubrezeln kann). Allerdings: Khans Regieleistung, seine Mit-Auswahl des Hauptdarstellers und seine Zurückhaltung als zweiter Hauptdarsteller bewundere ich. - Es gibt keine Liebesgeschichte, keinen Chefschurken, und das Ende ist sehr vorhersehbar. Das werten manche als Schwäche, mich stört es nicht. Gerade die Ereignislosigkeit und das Dahintreiben im ersten Teil haben mir sehr gefallen. - Der Film ist gelegentlich etwas wohlmeinend und belehrend, vor allem in Aamir-Khan-Szenen, die Verstimmung hielt sich jedoch bei mir in Grenzen. Parallelen: - Teils erinnert "Taare Zameen Par" an einen anderen Film aus demselben Jahr, an Chak De! India - Ein unschlagbares Team (Einzel-DVD) . Beide Streifen zeigen leicht exzentrische Außenseiter, dargestellt von No-Names, mit nur einem bekannten Hauptdarsteller, der sich zurücknimmt. In "Chak de! India" ist es ein extrem verhaltener Shah Rukh Khan, der eine hoffnungslose junge Damenhockeymannschaft für die Weltmeisterschaft trainiert. Beide Filme bilden ein sehr modernes, nicht glamoursöses Indien ab, setzen auf rockige, moderne Musik und "Chak de! India" verzichtet noch deutlicher als "Taare Zameen Par" auf Tanznummern, Saris und Tradition. Beide Filme kommen auch ohne Liebesgeschichten und große Schurkenrollen aus. TZP wie "Chak de" sind überdies beide sehr sehenswert. - Noch ein weiterer Film fiel mir im Zusammenhang mit "Taare Zameen Par" ein: U, Me Aur Hum - Für immer wir (2008) ist - wie TZP - das Werk eines seit langem bekannten Schauspielers, der erstmals auch produziert und Regie führt. Im Vergleich mit "U, Me Aur Hum" gewinnt Aamir Khan noch zusätzlichen Glanz: "U, Me Aur Hum"-Hauptdarsteller-Produzent-Regisseur ist der Actionschauspieler Ajay Devgan, der sich in seinem Film permanent selbst von seiner vermeintlichen Sahneseite zeigen lässt und den Streifen mit hektischen Schnitten und Effekten ruiniert. Wer "U, Me Aur Hum" kennt, schätzt Aamir Khans Zurückhaltung in TZP noch mehr - dort tritt er in der ersten Stunde gar nicht in Erscheinung und auf der Darstellerliste erscheint er nach dem Grundschüler.

I bought this movie as it was suggested when I bought another one. I thought it would be a great Bollywood- and I love Bollywood. It came and first thing I noticed was that it was a Disney! I was so disappointed! However, since I bought it, I put it in and watched it with my husband. To my delight, it IS a Bollywood. Filmed in India, subtitles... the whole shebang- no clue how Disney got involved. (Being a Disney AND a Bollywood, there was lots of songs) This movie was wonderful. I cried and cried, and enjoyed it so much. It should be seen by every teacher and parent out there. Kids would like it too, however the subtitles might make it difficult for younger kids to follow along. The acting was great, the family was so likeable, the Dad's journey to being a truly caring person, the teacher's brilliant manipulation of the situation, Ishaan's coming awake were all beautifully done. The movie is nearly 3 hours in length, so budget enough time to see it. Do yourself a favor and see this film!