Taare Zameen Par
-a true motion picture
Sanjit Singh Dang, PhD.
Dec25, 2007, Milpitas, California.
Ok. here's Aamir presenting his first official directorial effort (unofficially, he has probably directed several movies...Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Ghulam, maybe some parts of Lagaan since I can see his stamp here and there, ...). So, howz the movie 'Taare Zameen Par'? The film is made with a lot of conviction and sensitivity. It has a unique script with a social message, executed differently compared to contemporary Hindi cinema.
I always want to see Aamir Khan movies right from the very first shot, be it the standard shot saying 'all characters in this film are fictitious....bla bla bla'. But due to unavoidable reasons, we reached the theatre 2minutes post the scheduled start time, but I was lucky to find that it had not yet started. As soon as we sat down, my 3-year old daughter Taarini demanded popcorn. Knowing her craze for the popped corn, I had to rush to get it. The counter lady was too slow for me and irritated me by her Qs: do you want butter on popcorn or not? your credit card doesn't work. ...Grrrrrrrrr...I almost grabbed her neck and rebuked her for eating away an extra 50seconds! By the time I re-entered the hall, I saw a boy onscreen staring at some water. It was the opening shot, ahhhhhh, a sigh of relief. I watched the sequence with eyes wide open: how a mesmerized Ishaan stares at the tiny fishes from the gutter, how he picks them up using his small fishing net, how he pours them into his water bottle, and how his hobby time is suddenly cut short by the rude bus conductor who scolds him yet again for keeping the bus waiting. I simply loved how the entire sequence of picking up aquatic creatures from the gutter was shot. The scene was very nicely done, each shot was crystal clear and well-intended. That told me right-away that Aamir, the director, knows the nuances of his craft very finely. And that impression continued throughout the film. This sequence also established the free-spirited lifestyle of Ishaan. The next hour delves deeper into his day-dreaming mind, each scene solidifying that Ishaan just wants to be mentally free from the shackles of our systems.
The movie identifies with us, touching our emotional chords. We can relate to Ishaan staring out of the window during class, or being compared to his studious elder brother, or being rebuked for low marks by teachers and parents. In parallel, the film is extremely sensitive. I had tears in my eyes whenever Ishaan or his mother got sentimental: like the departing moment at boarding school, the following 'Maa' song, or when Ishaan runs into Aamir's arms while receiving the best painting prize. Prasoon Joshi’s soulful lyrics and music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (that appeals more with the visuals) jell nicely with characters’ emotions. Aamir also uses colors effectively to paint the rainbow in Ishaan’s mind.
BTW, did you notice that in the bus, Ishaan always sits next to the driver, probably to get a big-screen view of the city traffic and roads, and also to escape from rest of the class sitting behind him. I remember, as a child, I'd also love that seat, rest of the seats behind seemed too mundane to me. That seat is very interesting and appealing because you get to see a large-scale panaromic view of the world through the big glass in front, and also you get to see the gear movement (which, as a child, seemed fascinating to me).
Moving on, I loved the way Aamir depicts the protagonist's free mind and his free way of life in the first half. I could easily identify with things like staring out of the window at nothing, fingering your nose, reading any stray sign, walking on streets alone, sitting in bathroom idly day dreaming some random thoughts about winning in cricket, etc. Although I was really good at studies (thanks to my mother's stick), but I had a haywire side to me as well. As a child, I wanted to be a film-maker and would 'deliver' my Filmfare speech at home in 8th grade itself whenever I was alone at home. So, I can easily relate to the fact that kids have a hidden treasure in them that this world doesn't let unleash. Actually, India (and probably Asia) is more a culprit to this phenomenon because of over-population which creates competition. My last 10 years in the USA have taught me that they do let the child be free here, relatively speaking.
But I felt that the film could have been tighter. Aamir could have edited out some of the self-governing shots of Ishaan. Although they are a treat to watch because they are picturised so beautifully and I can identify with them, but they do slow down the narrative pace. Towards the later part of the 1st half, I started feeling itchy about when Aamir will come, when he'll discover the dyslexia in Ishaan,...come on, give it to me NOW. My impatience was because I had read umpteen glorious reviews online. Also, the song 'Kya hai problem...' could have been removed. During intermission, my father correctly remarked that Aamir could have said all this in just 5min (ha ha ha). Even after Aamir appears, he takes his own time to recognize the reason behind Ishaan's behavior. BTW, hey, I loved the way Aamir appeared. I wish if any of my new school teachers had introduced themselves the way he did.
Darsheel does not act, I really can't imagine he was acting. He talks with his eyes. His performance was so natural that I felt he was just playing his own self. How can you act that expression on the terrace after the cricket fight? The camera also loves the expression so much that it doesn't want to move away; I thank cameraman Setu and director Aamir for giving the halt on that shot, I could have watched that shot for ages and ages...or the face when he pleads to his parents not to send him to boarding school. Or how he feels lonely in hostel room at night or sitting in canteen not willing to touch his rice plate. My God, what a face, what eyes! Thats why, I say Darsheel doesn't act, he just plays himself. I'd give kudos to Aamir's eye and heart for spotting Darsheel. In a recent interview, Aamir said he chose Darsheel for the role after watching him for just a few seconds. I'm sure Aamir just saw his eyes and said wow, what expressive eyes! He acts from his expressions, a lesson today's big stars need to learn from him. Darsheel has the potential to become a true actor of the caliber of Naseerudin Shah and Raghubir Yadav. I can't say about his stardom because acting and fame don't always go together, unfortunately. Hey, the Bollywood world, do we have the Best Actor award for Darsheel Safari this year? After all, it should be an award for performance, not limited by stardom or age, right? he he he....(laughing at the awards' juries because I know they don't have the nerves of Aamir.....oops, nerves of steel).
Tisca Chopra is equally brilliant as the mother, She has a beautiful face and can emote naturally. Infact, I think she is better than Aamir in making us cry. Vipin Sharma as Ishaan's father was good only in parts. At times, he was overacting and had many unnecessary pauses in his dialogue delivery.
The song 'Jame Raho' is likeable after you watch the visuals. The beginning shot of the third stanza 'Yahan kuch alag andaaz hai...' showing a lazying Ishan brought a quick laugh from the audience. The disparate lifestyle of Ishan vis-a-vis his topper elder bro is nicely depicted. It reminded me of my childhood days. My younger bro was way more disciplined than me: he'd get up quickly on 1 sound, he'd reach the bus stand always in time.....whereas I had a hard time getting up in the morning (I'm still the same), and I always barely caught my school bus (similar to Ishaan). See, the character is so real that it's very easy to identify with the film: great scripting by Amole Gupte!
Aamir uses colors very effectively. I loved the red and yellow mixing of a spot using the index finger...the whole shot is brilliant and now I understand why Aamir used it as the opening shot of the first trailer released. He continues the use of colors to depict the rainbow in the mind of Ishaan. The boarding school building has a nice mix of red and white colors, used effectively as a backdrop in the 'Maa..' song. Oh, that takes me to my favorite song of the movie! 'Kya, itna bura hoon main Maa?'...these words kept lilting in my mind even after the movie. Song 'Maa...' really moved me. It generated a sense of re-respect in me for my mother, not that I don't respect her otherwise, but I think after we grow up and become adults and breed our new generation, life gets tough time-wise. So, it's good to get a refresher regularly that reminds us of what our parents did for us. My wife and my mother were also crying during this song. The song also shows scenes that I could easily relate to when I went to the hostel for the first time for engineering, the difference being that my Dad was way more emotional than Ishan's. I think this song by itself can send chills down the audience's spine, that's what happened to me when I saw this as the latest trailer even before I had watched the movie. The scrapbook drawings showing Ishaan getting slowly away from his family is a brilliant concept of how a child painter would paint his pain. Tisca Chopra is equally exceptional as the Mother, I wish Bollywood had tapped her earlier. She has a beautiful face and can emote naturally, what more do you want from an actress? Infact, I think she was better than Aamir, the actor, in making us cry. She is the only actor who was able to keep up with the tall performance of Darsheel. Aamir, the actor, reminded me of Akele Hum Akele Tum...some tears looked just artificial. Vipin Sharma who played Ishaan's Dad was good only in parts. At times, he was overacting and had many unnecessary pauses in his dialogue delivery.
Overall, Aamir has done a neat and awesome job as a director. Today’s directors play on audience's cheesy interest and human eye's lack of quick perception by showing semi-clad heroines and split-second shots. But Aamir decides to create his own cinema by depicting Ishaan and his mother's heartfelt countenances with immense patience...again and again and again. It's almost as if Setu’s camera is in sheer love with its new-found soul-mate: the inner pain of these two characters. And mind you, every time, there's a shot showing their suffering face, your heart will cry, I challenge you on this! Besides portraying a child's mind intricately and beautifully, TZP also moves Indian cinema one notch higher by virtue of a strong script by Amole Gupte, an honest presentation, and poignant performances, along-with a message on children’s upbringing. his has been the hallmark of Aamir Khan movies recently: Lagaan, DCH, RDB, and TZP carries that forward. What a piece of art! I don't think this is a film, it should be classified as visual art in motion or a true motion picture. GO, GO WATCH IT!
I watched this movie in California's Naz8 theatre (San Jose) with my family on Dec24 at 3pm show. This area (California's Silicon Valley, aka Bay Area) has multiple Hindi movie theatres, so no one theatre typically gets full, especially on a Monday. Considering this and the fact that it was afternoon time, the theatre was half-full, which is great! No one moved throughout the movie, except a 2-3 year old girl who kept asking her Mom why they are beating Ishaan, why they are scolding him.....Her mom had to console the crying girl repeatedly. Everybody got up once the first end title appeared, but they sat down again, realizing that Aamir has more to say. My 3-year old daughter (who is a Shahrukh die-hard fan and makes a phone call to SRK everyday inviting him to visit our home in California) also loved parts of your movie. She stood up and was dancing at the Bum Bum Bole song. My mother had tears.....I noticed it at the end, she liked the movie and said it was different. My wife cried through 3/4th of the movie. So, Aamir made a movie that appealed to 3 generations! Kudos for the venture into the world of the real stars. I am glad we have film-makers like you in Bollywood. If this film goes to the Oscars, I'll drive down to LA and help with publicizing the movie in Hollywood to get the jury to watch it (I know this is needed, based on Lagaan experience Aamir had).
I am proud to be a part of the Aamir Khan fraternity for the last 20 years. I am proud to believe in Aamir. TZP is exactly the kind of beliefs that Aamir always stands for. There's no Shahrukh, Karan Johar, Yash Chopra, Bhansali,.....who can match up to Aamir's astounding level of self-belief and also have guts to execute on that belief (after all, film-making needs money investing also). Or else how can you explain Aamir choosing to direct TZP when he didn't see Amole Gupte giving justice to the film? Aamir did it because he believed in the subject, the script and felt strongly that this story needs to be told to the public...a public that is bent to create only doctors and engineers, but no Einstein or CV Raman! Maybe now India will breed the next CV Raman or have a chance at Olympics.
I can't help but write down the words of the title song to end this review because it feels so good after watching the movie. Now, I truly understand the meaning of the lyrics. Now, I'll be raising my daughter differently. I'm going to watch it again and again...
To every child in this world:
Tu dhoop hai, jham se bikhar.
Tu hai nadee, O bekhabar,
Beh chal kahin, ud chal kahin,
Dil khush jahan, teri to manzil hai wahin.
-Sanjit Singh Dang, PhD.
Dec25, 2007, California.
ps: Aamir, I totally agree with your comment about movie Black. I found nothing good in that movie. Infact, I think Sanjay as a film-maker made a classic in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and since then, he has traveled a downhill road focusing more on rich costumes and sets, instead of substance (thats why, I think Karan Johar regards SLB as the best director around because both lack substance). So, never be afraid of speaking your heart, keep it up!
Please add your comments here (both positive and negative).
Back to www.taarezameepar.com or sanjitdang.com.
Visit my other sites: aamir-khan.com, and fanaahthefilm.com.