Taare Zameen Par

'Taare Zameen Par' is a Bollywood film, released in 2007, directed and produced by Aamir Khan and written by Amole Gupte. The film features Darsheel Zafary, Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Tanay Chheda, Vipin Sharma and Sachet engineer as the lead characters. This movie highlights the life of eight year old Ishaan who is suffering from dyslexia. The film also throws light onto the teacher-student relationship between Ishaan and his teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan), who helps the former overcome and recover from this disorder. Poignant and touching, the story shows how a dedicated teacher goes all out to help a bright student, who is misunderstood and belittled by his classmates and teachers for his poor academic performance. Given remedial teaching for his disorder, Ishaan comes out of his shell with flying colours, thanks to his teacher who identified his otherwise hidden, artistic skills. The film received excellent response from audience and critics alike, and also became the first Indian film to have its video rights purchased by an international company, i.e. Walt Disney Company Home entertainment. Read on to know more about 'Taare Zameen Par' and the teacher-student relationship that is the soul of the film.

Taare Zameen Par Movie

Synopsis
The film revolves around an 8-year-old boy, Ishaan Nandkishore Awasthi. He hates his school, dislikes all his subjects and fails in all exams. He is constantly deprecated by his classmates and teachers who fail to understand and identify Ishaan's internal world which is filled with magical lands and animated animals. His immense talent in arts and painting often goes unrecognized. His parents, Nandkishore Awasthi and Maya Awasthi, are frustrated at Ishaan's failure at school, especially since the father, Nandkishore wants his children to excel in their academics. To make things worse, Ishaan is often compared to Yohaan, his elder brother, who is a scholar and an athlete.

Seeing their son's poor academic record and to bring some order into his disorderly life, Ishaan's parents send him to a boarding school where he confines himself into a shell and lives in a state of constant depression. However, at this school, he befriends Rajan, a physically disabled boy who is a top student in the class. A welcome breeze arrives with the influx of the new art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh. As Ram Shankar was already an instructor at a school that dealt with special children suffering from learning disabilities, he adopts a totally different teaching style. Through this style, he identifies and observes the weak links and the stronger sides of students. It is during these activities that he observes Ishaan. His observations help him identify the dyslexic signs that were explicit and surfacing in Ishaan.

What follows next depicts how an understanding and passionate teacher changes the outlook of the way a person with dyslexia is perceived. After visiting Ishaan's house, Prof. Nikumbh is able to convince the Awasthi's about Ishaan's disorder. Surprised by the sophistication and beauty of Ishaan's paintings, Nikumbh takes the consent of his parents and school principal and provides additional tuition for Ishaan. Nikumbh discusses the subject of dyslexia with the rest of the class, thus, bringing about awareness. Nikumbh's efforts pay off as Ishaan's classmates are convinced that he is just a slow learner not a bad performer. The remedial teaching provided by the teacher not only helps Ishaan expose his creative skills but also helps in improving his academic record. In order to showcase Ishaan's artistic skills, Nikumbh organizes an art fair wherein the 8 year old secures first place. As a result of the consequent boost of confidence, Ishaan improves academically and even gains the respect of his authoritarian father.

Taare Zameen Par revolves around the relationship between a teacher and a student. It shows how an encouraging teacher can play a major role in the overall development of a child. While other teachers show utter insensitivity towards Ishaan, it is his arts teacher who identifies his dyslexic signs and provides remedial teaching for his betterment. Nikumbh takes Ishaan out of his introverted shell and provides new energy by filling his life with colours and happiness.

Taking us into the world of a dyslexic child, the film, in its own way, suggests that teachers should make education a more creative and fun-filled experience. Taare Zameen Par is indeed a touching film that highlights the influence of a teacher on a child and reinstates our faith in this ancient association.