Film: Sitaare Zameen Par
Rating: 2.5/5
Cast: Aamir Khan, Genelia Deshmukh, Arroush Dutta, Gopi Krishnan, Naman Misra, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Aashish Pendse, Samvit Desai, Simran Mangeshkar, Aayush Bhansali, Dolly Ahluwalia, Gurpal Singh, Brijendra Kala, etc.
Cinematography: G Srinivas Reddy
Editor: Charu Sree Roy
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Ram Sampath
Production: Aamir Khan Productions
Director: R.S. Prasanna
Release Date: 20 June 2025
Aamir Khan’s films are often considered events in themselves—highly anticipated and carefully dissected. Despite a few misfires in the recent past, his sincerity and commitment to emotionally resonant storytelling are typically respected. This time, he returns with Sitaare Zameen Par.
So, does it shine like the title promises?
Story:
Gulshan (Aamir Khan) is a short-tempered, talented basketball coach who lacks empathy, especially towards differently abled individuals — referring to them dismissively as paagal. He’s married to Suneeta (Genelia Deshmukh), but he neither spends time with her nor understands her emotions.
After a drunken driving incident where he hits a police vehicle, Gulshan is ordered by the court to complete community service — specifically, coaching differently abled children in a care home.
Initially reluctant, he meets a group of kids — Sharmaji, Lotus, Raju, Kareem, Sunil, Golu, Satbir, Guddu, Bantu, and Hargovind — physically of different ages but mentally around 5–8 years old.
What begins as a chore gradually transforms his perspective. Ultimately, Gulshan confesses that he didn’t coach them; instead, they taught him life lessons. A changed man, he begins leading a better life.
Performances:
Aamir Khan is as impeccable as ever. His physical transformation is striking—despite being 60, he convincingly appears in his 40s. Performance-wise, he delivers his best.
Genelia Deshmukh looks like a perfect on-screen partner for Aamir, but her role has limited narrative weight with minimal impact.
Dolly Ahluwalia makes her presence as Gulshan’s mother, while Brijendra Kala as her boyfriend has some screen presence but nothing much from his side.
The highlight, however, is the ensemble of differently abled characters- Gopi Krishnan Varma (Guddu), Vedant Sharmaa (Bantu), Naman Misra (Hargovind), Rishi Shahani (Sharmaji), Rishabh Jain (Raju), Ashish Pendse (Sunil Gupta), Samvit Desai (Kareem Qureshi), Simran Mangeshkar (Golu Khan), and Aayush Bhansali (Lotus) all deliver authentic and convincing performances being challenged, proving commendable casting and direction here.
Technical Aspects:
Cinematography and editing are crisp and clean. The songs by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are pleasant, while Ram Sampath’s background score is adequate. However, the film suffers from weak writing. The narrative lacks emotional highs and the gripping arc typical of Aamir Khan’s past successes.
Highlights:
- Aamir Khan’s look and transformation
- Performances of the basketball team members
Drawbacks:
- Lack of emotional depth
- Predictable storyline
- Deja vu feel
- Weak climax
Analysis:
The film attempts to blend elements from Aamir’s previous films- Lagaan (coaching the unexpected), Taare Zameen Par (differently abled subject), and Dangal (coaching toward national recognition). But unlike those films, Sitaare Zameen Par misses the emotional impact and narrative grip.
Key questions remain unanswered are - How does Gulshan overcome the challenges of training differently abled children? How are their weaknesses turned into strengths? How do they realistically reach a national-level competition within 3 months?
These narrative holes and no strong episodes weaken the film’s depth. It feels more like an attempt to gain critical awards than genuine public appreciation.
While the message—that even differently abled individuals can achieve greatness—is noble, the execution lacks emotional conviction. Aamir’s character’s final confession about learning from his team members is heartfelt, but underwhelming due to shallow build-up.
Some scenes feel unnecessary—like the subplot about Gulshan’s mother’s relationship, or a misleading moment involving Suneeta’s wierd sounds from bedroom that turns out to be a boxing scene. These dilute the mood of the narrative.
To sum up, the message in the film is that victory or defeat is taken seriously only by the general population, whereas differently abled individuals tend to celebrate even a loss if they are convinced they won in second place. However, this comes across as contrived or convenient, especially since the characters behave rationally throughout most of the film, despite their childlike appearances and actions.
In one line, Sitaare Zameen Par offers a predictable story with a routine climax and little emotional engagement.
Bottom Line: Predictable Stuff
