FILM REVIEW: Sitaare Zameen Par 

Samhita Barooah

Watching Sitaare Zameen Par was on my bucket list this summer break. Taare Zameen Par hangover was still fresh in my mind and heart. For me Sitaare Zameen Par was a treat to understand a range of intellectual disability symptoms through the action, gestures and passionate depiction of the more than real characters of the film. Aamir Khan has been working with a diverse spectrum of concerns related to sports in Dangal, music in Secret Superstar, dyslexia in Taare Zameen Par, polio in Lal Singh Chaddha along with locational, contextual and multiple South Asian context of struggles across gender, age, disability, class and religion. Aamir Khan’s self depiction in these films gets fluid between both positive and negative characters. He can raise concern, care and craze amongst his fans for the issue based awareness he creates through his films.

In Sitaare Zameen Par he deals with his own complexes about being short as he plays the protagonist as a short height basketball coach. The way body image issues are projected in this film, it entralls the audience with wonders. Every child representing a disabled condition seems to be confident, comfortable and carefree about themselves. Each adult with intellectual disability earlier used to be depicted in Bollywood movies as beggars, villains or pitiable character. Sitaare Zameen Par is the first film which celebrates diverse forms of intellectual disabilities and weaves them seamlessly into one basketball team. Infact this film showcases how actual disability lies in the attitude of ableism which erodes humanity from people in the society called “normal” world.

All characters played by actors who identify with some form of disability is also an incredible window of opportunity for the community to explore careers in movies. This film instills tremendous hope in a changed world which includes, accepts and adores every person without any judgements. This film showcases an amazing reflection of healthy sexuality amongst young adults with diverse forms of intellectual disabilities. A child with disability is a burden when it comes to exploring their sexuality and an adult is even more a burden. Mostly parents and guardians are worried about how to deal with various tabooed topics about sex, sexuality and gender identity related matters for an adolescent or young adult with any form of disability. They try to avoid the matter through religious, cultural or traditional norms of restraint and confinement for the youths with disability.

Sitaare Zameen Par also shows the variety of skilled work that adults with marginal or moderate intellectual disability does in the country. The day jobs of the basketball players make them economically independent, socially responsible and physically functional in diverse workspaces where 3% reservation policy of the persons with disability act is taken care of. This film gives an alternative to think beyond winning and losing after the match was lost by the protagonists and enables the coach Aamir Khan to go beyond competition. This film is a true reflection of society at large which abuses, exploits, adores and appreciates every ability in a person with disability and downplays every disability in an able bodied person as a false praise.

The film keeps the audience wonder how youths with disability can change the outlook of an insensitive, judgemental and chauvinistic coach depicted by Aamir Khan. Genelia D'Souza also compliments her soothing and supportive wife role well.

The film educates the audience on down syndrome symptoms, role played by mentors and parents of youths with intellectual disabilities and adopts a self respect inclusive approach to issues of disability rights at workplaces, public places, buses and sports grounds. Every film comes with its shades of grey. Sitaare Zameen Par could have also included the characters from diverse genders as coaches, cops, employers institutional heads and even the youths with intellectual disabilities. Atleast the basketball teams were inclusive of two genders. In this film again more than Aamir Khan it's the issue that stole hearts. Yet another classic perfectionist stroke to be more sensitive and inclusive.

It is indeed a film to grab a seat for. Hurry up go to your nearest movie hall and enjoy every bit of the film. It almost feels like gazing at the twinkling stars on earth.