Like Stars on Earth

December 21, 2007 0 By Fans
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Plot

An eight year old boy is thought to be lazy and a troublemaker, until the new art teacher has the patience and compassion to discover the real problem behind his struggles in school.

Release Year: 2007

Rating: 8.3/10 (16,384 voted)

Director:
Aamir Khan

Stars: Darsheel Safary, Aamir Khan, Tanay Chheda

Storyline
Ishaan Awasthi is an eight-year-old whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate; colours, fish, dogs and kites are just not important in the world of adults, who are much more interested in things like homework, marks and neatness. And Ishaan just cannot seem to get anything right in class. When he gets into far more trouble than his parents can handle, he is packed off to a boarding school to 'be disciplined'. Things are no different at his new school, and Ishaan has to contend with the added trauma of separation from his family. One day a new art teacher bursts onto the scene, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, who infects the students with joy and optimism. He breaks all the rules of 'how things are done' by asking them to think, dream and imagine, and all the children respond with enthusiasm, all except Ishaan. Nikumbh soon realizes that Ishaan is very unhappy…

Writers: Amole Gupte, Amole Gupte

Cast:

Darsheel Safary

Ishaan Awasthi


Aamir Khan

Ram Shankar Nikumbh


Tanay Chheda

Rajan Damodaran


Sachet Engineer

Yohan Awasthi


Tisca Chopra

Maya Awasthi


Vipin Sharma

Nandkishore Awasthi


Ayaan

Ishaan Awasthi – 10 months


Megha Bengali

Mrs. Karnik


Bugs Bhargava

Sen Sir


Alorika Chatterjee

Science Teacher


Gurkirtan Chauhan

Housemaster


Sanjay Dadich

Maadhoo


Madhav Datt

Loo Bully


Aniket Engineer

Young Yohan Awasthi


Krishn Gopinath

Satyajit Bhatkar

Taglines:
Ein Stern auf Erden (Every Child is Special)



Details

Official Website:
Official site |

Release Date: 21 December 2007

Opening Weekend: $352,568
(USA)
(23 December 2007)
(70 Screens)

Gross: $1,204,660
(USA)
(20 January 2008)



Technical Specs

Runtime:



Did You Know?

Trivia:

Noted artist Samir Mondal made three paintings for Aamir Khan for this film and did not charge anything for them. His works normally sell in the range of Rs. 100,000 to 700,000, depending on the size of the painting.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers):
When Rajan and Ishaan are talking in the corridors, Rajan says he lives in the staff quarters as opposed to in the normal student dorm. Later on, Ram asks Rajan where Ishaan is, and Rajan says he saw him leave the student dorm early. If Rajan lived in the staff quarters, he wouldn't know this.

Quotes:

Ram Shankar Nikumbh:
lf you fancy racing, breed racehorses, dammit, not children.



User Review

Some intelligent film-making there

Rating: 8/10


How many times has there been a movie you could really relate to? How
many times has it happened that you've seen a character on the screen
that reminds of something that you've been through in your life? As I
saw Ishan (Darsheel Safary) today, I felt, somewhere deep within that
that's me.

Notwithstanding the slight retard nature, dyslexia and bad academic
performance, the character of Ishan really made me remember my
childhood today. I remember I was something like him as a
child.—creative and imaginative. And my imagination always went
unappreciated. I used to curate gibberish – just like he did. I
painted, I dreamed and I fantasized about different things. So I feel
writer Amol Gupte and director Aamir Khan (what a wonderful debut!)
have picked an incredibly moving story. Frankly, I am not easily moved
by movies. Not even the greatest tearjerkers have managed to "move" me,
but for a moment I was stunned. Is this really happening to me? Am I
trying to cry? In fact, the scene where Ram (Aamir Khan) walks into
Ishan's room and discovers a score of sketches and drawings, it made me
feel like somebody had in fact, opened my closet and discovered my
secret childhood fantasies (Believe me, I still have them.) This movie
will surely engage all those who have had similar incidents in their
lives. That's for sure. I am moved. I love this film. I don't know and
I don't care how this film does in the box office but let me tell you
don't watch this film if you're looking for regular boy meets girl
story. Don't even skip this film thinking it's children's movie – no it
isn't. In fact, Taare Zameen Par is a movie potentially targeted
towards parents. But if you think you too have undergone similar
childhood conflicts and lived a life where the people around you refuse
to appreciate your fantasies, then definitely go for it. TZP mirrors
many of those people's lives that looks just plain and simple but those
who compromised their dreams for the sake of the earthly existence.

Okay, enough of fantasies. Technically, writer Amol Gupte delivers an A
Grade script. Aamir Khan shows his talent not just as an actor but a
very versatile and intelligent. Oscar Wilde, Leonardo da Vinci and
Sally Gardner were hardly ever heard of in Hindi cinema before this.
The writer just does not deliver a well written script but also his
knowledge of research (which other filmmakers hardly ever do!)
Musically, it's two-thumbs up for Shanker Ehsaan Loy. The title song is
fascinating. Maa and Jame Raho combine talents in all respects- music,
words and voice. The production design is superb. Not for a moment you
feel anything is fake. They even managed to squeeze in some quick
visual effects and animated scenes. They're there to add another
dimension to great story telling. The casting is good and well
justified. Little Darsheel steals the show. Tisca Chopra grabs
attention.

Aamir Khan, however stuns the audience by appearing at almost near half
of the film. That's the surprise but you don't miss Aamir in the first
half because Darsheel will definitely grab your attention and Aamir
gets to show some good directorial talent.

All in all, I'd say go and watch the film. I wouldn't recommend if
you're addicted to Yashraj stuffs but if you really want to see some
intelligent film-making, then Taare Zameen Par is a treat.