Sitaare Zameen Par

It is not an unreasonable want. Sitaare is the spiritual sequel of Taare Zameen Par (2007), Khan’s directorial debut that can function as a synonym of a sob-fest. Two decades ago, he played a perceptive teacher who recognised a dyslexic child’s struggle even when his parents failed to do so. This time, he plays an impolite basketball coach entrusted with the task of teaching the sport to a group of specially-abled people. Although adapted from the 2018 Spanish film Champions, there is a neatness to the circle, an authenticity to the premise of a teacher wanting to be taught. But there is a sea of difference between the performances, even when the intent remains the same. If Khan was pathbreaking in calling out the insensitivity in others, he is cloying when portraying the same thoughtlessness. His portrayal of an insecure athlete thrown into the mix of people he is prone to make fun of is superfluous at best, even when sincere. His pitch is perpetually dialled up, reminiscent of the sole misfire in Laal Singh Chaddha (2002), and at odds with the unaffected renditions of the rest. The film mimics the tonality.

In R.S. Prasanna’s Sitaare Zameen Par, pegged as a spiritual sequel to Taare Zameen Par (2008), Aamir Khan doesn’t want to leave anything to chance. So, in a slapstick scene, Khan’s character Gulshan Arora – a perpetually irate, foul-tempered, confrontational basketball coach – is barking instructions to his player. It’s the final few seconds of the game, and the scorecard shows the teams neck and neck, this one penalty shot might seal the game for Arora’s team. He screams – Be mindful! This is our only chance! You’re our Arjun, so keep your eyes on the prize! This whole game rests on you making the shot! After a point even the player, Satbir (Aroush Datta), gets tired and tells Khan’s character to shut up. As the gag ends with people giggling around him, Khan in his own exaggerated manner gulps down the humiliation – without the slightest hint that his latest film is similarly verbose and patronising towards its audience.

Since more than a decade, one has seen a large number of sports movies being made in mainstream Hindi cinema. So much so that it has now become exhausting. Filmmaker RS Prasanna and Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par, thankfully, doesn’t appear as just another sports film from the industry. Sitaare Zameen Par is the official Hindi remake of the Spanish film Campeones (English title: Champions). The story is based in Delhi and it revolves around the assistant coach of Delhi’s basketball team, Gulshan Arora (Aamir Khan). He is an arrogant, brash and a hot-headed guy. His nature once gets him into trouble when he hits his senior coach Paswan (Deepraj Rana) in a fit of rage. Hence, he gets suspended from his job.

A film that entertains, tugs your heart strings, addresses important societal issues and retains the feel-good factor, has become increasingly rare in Bollywood. Even though it is a remake of the 2018 Spanish film Champions (which also had a Hollywood remake with Woody Harrelson, a few years later) Sitaare Zameen Par, with all its highs and lows, manages to come out triumphant.