In India and in fact in a large part of the world, sensitive understanding of people with different abilities and of various people having their own ‘normal’ is a big social need. Two outstanding Hindi films of Aamir Khan have made an invaluable contribution to this. These are the just released film ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ (2025) and the equally valuable film made much earlier ‘Taare Zameen Par’ (2007). The titles of both of these Hindi films essentially mean ‘Stars on the Earth’, the reference being to the differently abled persons and children who despite being much misunderstood have so much to contribute with their different abilities and their own ‘normal’, with their love and sharing, and their ability to find happiness in adverse conditions.
While Aamir Khan is the producer of both films and also plays important roles in these films, he has also directed Taare while Sitare has been directed with equal competence by R.S. Prasanna. However what is more important is that these films provide equal room for all others contributing in big and small ways, including actors with different abilities, to make very interesting and valuable contributions. These films are very good examples of team work instead of being dominated by any single personality, however brilliant that person may be. Thus what lingers on in memory for a long time are the episodes involving the film characters played by some differently abled actors.
These films also bring out the remarkable ability of well thought out and very creatively made films to take highly relevant social issues to people in entertaining ways so that these are able to reach a larger number of people. The recently made Sitare in particular is full of moments of laughter and fun while at the same time conveying important social messages. You are laughing loudly one moment, and just a few minutes late you are reflecting deeply as the wider social relevance and depth of a dialogue or a situation sink in. Such films help us to become better human being or to realize our human qualities better in more than one way. In Sitare, for example, while the main discourse concerns the persons affected by autism and down syndrome as they prepare for a tournament as members of a hastily assembled basketball team (in Taare this is about a dyslexic child’s inspiring discovery of his hidden or under-rated artistic talents), there is also a significant side-story of an estranged couple striving to re-create their relationship and how despite earlier failures they ultimately find new meaning and bliss in the course of their wider social concerns and solidarity becoming stronger. This tells us that instead of sinking or narrowing our social concerns in times of personal crisis, getting more involved in sincere and creative ways with wider social concerns can actually be very helpful for us.
An important contribution of such films is that they are of enduring value in meeting important social and educational needs. For many years Sitare will continue to be appreciated for its important social and educational content, just as Taare has fulfilled such a role for close to two decades already. Both of these films can play an important role not just in India but internationally as well. This important and durable role of films of great social relevance should be better realized in social mobilization and education.
In our recently published book on Hindi cinema titled ‘Hindi Cinema and Society’, myself and co-author Madhu Dogra have emphasized the rich contribution that many Hindi films have made in terms of their presentation of social issues of high importance. We have recommended strongly that these films should be used more frequently and widely in educational work and social mobilizations.
Unfortunately the recent record of Hindi cinema has not at all been encouraging and films like ‘Taare’ and ‘Sitare’ should be seen now as more of an exception. Nevertheless, if the overall record of Hindi cinema is seen, going back more in the past, then we can find a lot here that is of great and enduring value and can be used to great advantage more widely in social education and mobilization.
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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include When the Two Streams Met, A Day in 2071 (English stories and novellas), Navjeevan (Hindi short stories) and Kathin daur mein ummeed (Hope in difficult times-- Hindi poems and songs)
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