Sitaare Zameen Par review: Aamir Khan sheds saviour syndrome in this feel-good redemption arc

Sitaare Zameen Par story:

Gulshan Arora (Aamir Khan) is a slovenly basketball coach who gets a community service sentence for drunk driving. He begins training neurodiverse adults with a prejudiced and condescending attitude, but he soon realises that they are teaching him the true meaning of life.

Sitaare Zameen Par review:

In 2007, Aamir Khan concluded the year with the poignant Taare Zameen Par, a film that raised awareness about dyslexia among both children and adults. The film subtly integrated the narrative and helped people understand this learning disability. But after nearly 18 years, Aamir has released another film that openly explores the story of a group of neurodivergent adults while also incorporating sports into the narrative. In this film, the actor avoids saviour syndrome, which has characterised his movie choices over the years.

To be honest, it's definitely a fresh change to have Aamir do a film where he doesn't save anyone from anything or make their dreams fulfilled, and he also makes the whole world get on the same page with his long, teary-eyed monologues. But how does Sitaare Zameen Par stand as a whole other individual film apart from being a spiritual sequel to Taare Zameen Par and being officially a remake of the 2018 Spanish film Campeones? Let's find out...

ALSO READ: Sitaare Zameen Par: Shah Rukh Khan surprises Aamir Khan at film's set; 'He has told me at least ten times...' | Watch

The film wastes no time in introducing the "Sitaare" team, as in quick succession we see Gulshan Arora, a hot-headed junior basketball coach, get fired from the Delhi basketball team as an assistant coach due to an altercation on the field. Why did he hit the senior coach? A senior coach calls him "tingu", which makes him lose his mind instantly. Well, to be honest, the incident is the first time the actor's height has become a topic of discussion in his movies from the past three decades. Furthermore, the situation continues until the end, when Gulshan finally comes to terms with his height and other related issues.

When the new team enters his life, everything goes haywire and works against him in every possible way, leaving him feeling helpless. With a no-filter mother (Dolly Ahluwalia) and an estranged wife, Suneeta (Genelia Deshmukh), Gulshan has been made to hear his flaws every now and then about having confrontational issues and not seeing the world through others' eyes. He continues to convince himself that he is a victim and that the world is causing him to suffer without justification. However, the "Sitaare" quickly teaches him how to live life despite his shortcomings, which, to be honest, are not very significant in his actual life. But like Gurpal Singh's character says in the film, "Har ek ka apna normal hota hai." 

Indeed, we often define the term "new normal" and observe its reflection in the world around us. Acceptance is the key for every human who doesn't conform to the societal norms. From a bus ride where the team and Gulshan are asked to get down after being called out by fellow passengers that "people" like them should travel on a "special" bus to a flight full of people having conversations with them like any "normal" person, we see a progress that's not to the face. 

However, throughout this process, Gulshan does not step forward to defend his "Sitaare", although there is a humorous moment where he attempts to do so. But for once, here's a man who himself has not accepted them fully and also has no right to defend them before understanding their lives.

While Sitaare Zameen Par avoids preachiness, it nonetheless evokes a sense of awareness through moments of laughter and poignant moments. But that takes time to build up until the interval point, where we are being introduced to this world at a slow pace and everyone's backstories are also settled. 

However, the second half swiftly unfolds the story at a suitable pace. Despite a few scenes that don't seem fitting, the film takes its time to fully establish each character's presence, ensuring they remain memorable even after we leave the theatres. 

Ultimately, the film's standout character is Gulshan, a middle-aged manchild who grows up throughout the story thanks to the influence of the "Sitaare", which includes Aroush Datta as Satbir, Gopi Krishnan Varma as Guddu, Vedant Sharmaa as Bantu, Naman Misra as Hargovind, Rishi Shahani as Sharmaji, Rishabh Jain as Raju, Ashish Pendse as Sunil Gupta, Samvit Desai as Kareem Qureshi, Simran Mangeshkar as Golu Khan, and Aayush Bhansali as Lotus.

But director RS Prasanna's Sitaare Zameen Par, written by Divy Nidh Sharma, is not one of those films that will test your patience and make you feel like you need to rush out. The film takes you on a journey filled with moments that may seem unnecessary, but they exist because the writing focuses on justifying each character's role rather than having them act intentionally simply because they are part of the film. Yes, among the "Sitaare", there are certain characters who get extensive arcs, which, to be honest, might feel forced, but that's where the film wins; they are not just the characters to be catalysts and make Gulshan a better coach. But they are also living a life with a smile, despite knowing that everyone around them doesn't smile and doesn't lead a simple life like they should. 

Meanwhile, coming to Aamir's act as Gulshan, well, it just felt like the actor had embodied himself in the film and made it feel like he was there and not performing. However, there are also moments when the actor slips into his 3 Idiots persona with childish antics, resembling a college student who is confused while starting a new life. Aamir has the most fun in the film, but I needed time to accept that he could portray such a playful character after delivering a more stable performance in his previous film, Laal Singh Chaddha. However, we cannot take away the fact that it's never not enjoyable to watch him onscreen unfold a character one after the other and make sure he doesn't repeat himself.

But this time, Gulshan became an amalgamation of several of his characters and eventually himself, as we have been seeing the actor so much on the Internet with his promotional activities. 

Despite having all the necessary elements, something about Sitaare Zameen Par felt off. To be honest, the music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy did not resonate with me because it lacked any memorable songs. The background score also became slightly distracting because it reminded me of the Aye Khuda song from Paathshala. On the other hand, the film also thankfully brings songs just in the background, but they also become a white noise of sorts eventually.

Coming to other performances, it's Dolly Ahluwalia who also stands out as Gulshan's single mother with a swag who even though must have pampered him the most, now makes a redemption by calling a spade a spade. She doesn't think twice before calling him out and their banter is too much fun to watch. On the other hand, Genelia does try to bring out the best of capabilities she has in the acting department. The actor does look mature on screen and matches slightly with Aamir given the age gap, but there's hardly any chemistry or scenes that stand out between them.

You might not want to miss Sitaare Zameen Par on the big screen, given the feel-good vibes and something light-hearted to watch. To be honest, it's the most watchable commercial film that has come out this year as of now, so why even miss an Aamir Khan film? But go without the baggage of Taare Zameen Par, as the film carries it only with the title and not with its deep emotions. 

Sitaare Zameen Par verdict:

In Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan ditches the halo and dons humility, letting the real stars—his neurodivergent team—shine brightest. It’s less about Taare Zameen Par déjà vu and more about a man-child’s cosmic crash course in empathy.