A Review: Why Teenagers and You Should Watch Taare Zameen Par (2007)

Introduction and Synopsis
Taare Zameen Par (2007) is an Indian film directed and produced by Aamir Khan. The film starred Aamir Khan himself, Darsheel Safary, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma, Sachet Seth, and Tanay Chheda. The film won several awards in some categories, some of them Best Movie and Best Story in the Filmfare Awards (2008), Best Story and Best Dialogue in the Star Screen Awards (2008), and Best Film in the V. Shantaram Awards (2008). It was also India’s official entry for the 81st Academy Awards Best Foreign Film category but was not chosen for the shortlist.

The film is popular and received much praise because of its story. It is about an 8-year-old boy named Ishaan Aswathi who suffers from dyslexia. It is a learning disability in reading, which leads Ishaan to have trouble in reading and writing. However, his parents and school are unaware of it, so they see him as a naughty, idiot, and lazy boy. Because of this, his parents send him to a boarding school far away from home so that Ishaan will learn better and change his attitude. At the boarding school, Ishaan meets Mr. Ram Shankar Nikumbh who is aware of Ishaan’s dyslexia. Mr. Ram Shankar then teaches Ishaan to read and write with a variety of teaching approaches. He also encourages and gives Ishaan support to paint since Ishaan loves painting, and Mr. Ram Shankar acknowledges Ishaan’s ability to paint.

My Review
The title of this film, Taare Zameen Par, means like Stars on Earth, which represents the idea of the film, which children are like stars in the world and every child is special. At the beginning of the film, the audience will be introduced to Ishaan who is full of imagination, but he is too lazy to study. He “looks” naughty and lazy because he has never worked on school work and has never passed the test, he even has repeated the third grade twice. This bad nature is in contrast to Ishaan’s big brother, Yohan, who always gets perfect scores in various subjects. However, the bad nature borne by Ishaan is caused because of the dyslexia he experienced. Unfortunately, no one understands Ishaan’s dyslexia. Although Ishaan is not good at school subjects, he is good at painting, playing puzzles, and playing Rubik’s cube.

However, Ishaan’s talents are not realized by his parents because they only demand Ishaan to be smart in school subjects, such as mathematics, English, and others. It illustrates the condition of the family in real life where parents have ambitions to make their children smart in school subjects and ignore the interests and talents of their children. It also describes society, especially in Asia, which looks down on talented people in the arts because people consider someone smart if they are good at mathematics or science. In my opinion, this film can criticize the condition of society who always ignore children who are interested in the arts. The film also gives insight that children who are good at art can compete and be successful like other children who are good at other fields of science.

Since this film focuses on telling that every child is special, this film involves children who have special needs. In the film, Mr. Ram Shankar also teaches at Tulips School, which is a special school for children who have special needs. The scene when Mr. Ram Shankar teaches at the school shows that children with special needs are also special on their own. Some scenes are heart-warming because children with special needs in the film are appreciated and given affection. The film also shows that they can also be creative. It can provide a perspective or insight to the audience that all children, including children who have special needs, can shine in their respective ways.

At the end of the film, Mr. Ram Shankar manages to teach Ishaan to read and write after teaching him with right learning method. Ishaan is also increasingly talented in painting, and his parents begin to realize that Ishaan is their pride. This film teaches that we should not demand people to follow the standards of perfection in society because everyone has different talents and abilities. We also cannot judge or label someone without finding out the real reasons. The film also encourages children to Embrace their specialty and believe in their abilities.

Besides the story aspect, other aspects of this film also need to be appreciated. The acting of the actors and actresses is excellent because they can go deep into their respective roles and express the emotions of each character. The acting from the actor who plays the role of Ishaan, Darsheel Safary, is very memorable because his acting is not rigid and represents an 8-year-old boy. The emotions expressed by him can also be felt so that the audience can sympathize with the character of Ishaan. The acting of Amir Khan as Mr. Ram Shankar also meets expectations. He can represent a friendly teacher who teaches his students with love. In addition, the acting of the supporting actors also needs to be appreciated because their acting looks natural. It can be seen from students who express their happy faces naturally. Apart from acting, performance and music in this film also make this film more interesting. The most memorable scene is the scene when Mr. Ram Shankar introduces himself as a contract teacher by singing in the art class. In this scene, the students join in singing and dancing, and it brings happiness to the audience. The songs sung and played in this film also introduce Indian culture because the songs are sung in Hindi and the instruments are typical of Indian music.

Another aspect that makes this film good is the existence of funny animations when describing Ishaan’s imagination. With this animation, the audience is invited to explore Ishaan’s imagination and understand Ishaan’s way of thinking. This funny animation also keeps the audience entertained.

In terms of characterization, every character, especially the main character, is written and well-described. Ishaan is a character who portrays an 8-year-old boy and can represent a boy who experiences dyslexia. Ishaan character experiences character development when he meets Mr. Ram Shankar because he thinks he has found the right teacher who understands him. The character of Mr. Ram Shankar is also well portrayed. He is a representation of a teacher who should care, teach, and protect his students. He is also a character that is made to criticize society, especially parents, who always demand their children without wanting to know the development of their children. In addition, Ishaan’s parents also represent the nature of most parents who burden their children with their ambitions without caring about their children. However, at the end of the film, his parents change and reflect on their parenting. It shows that the parents also experience character development.

My Rating and The Reason I Recommend It
I gave a 5/5 rating for this film and I highly recommend it to teenagers, Parents, soon-to-be parents, and teachers in Indonesia. The reason why I give a high rating and highly recommend this film is because this film educates about dyslexia and children with other special needs. This film is suitable to be watched by Indonesian teenagers because it will teach them that there are differences among children. Considering that children with special needs or backwardness are still looked down on by some Indonesian people, this film can educate teenagers to be aware and acknowledge that people who are “different” also have their abilities and specialities. This film can encourage the audience to appreciate the differences and recognize all the specialities that exist in a person.

Moreover, this film also encourages teenagers or children who are smarter in the arts to focus on their talents. The story of Ishaan who is not good at school subjects, but is good at painting can inspire teenagers or children who pursue to be artists not to look down on themselves. It can also open the minds of teenagers or children that smartness or genius is not only measured by their intelligence in mathematics or science. All people are smart and genius in their fields with their way. This film also invites the audience not to label or judge someone stupid just because they have shortcomings in certain subjects. In addition, even though the story in this film is sad, the story is wrapped beautifully with good humour so that the audience can enjoy this film with a smile, laughter, and tears. It has also some motivational quotes for teenagers to pursue their dreams and be proud of themselves.