At a Taare Zameen Par fan meet, Aamir Khan shared for the first time that his son Junaid is dyslexic, revealing how the film's story closely mirrored their real-life experience
At a recent Taare Zameen Par fan meet, Bollywood star Aamir Khan opened up about a deeply personal connection to the film, revealing that his son, Junaid Khan, is dyslexic. He shared that this was the first time he had spoken about the matter publicly, explaining that he felt comfortable doing so only because Junaid had already chosen to share his story.
Related Articles
Aamir expressed that the 2007 film resonated with him on a very personal level, as it mirrored his own family experience. He admitted that when Junaid was younger, he struggled to understand his son’s difficulties with reading and writing. Initially, he reacted with frustration, often scolding Junaid about his poor handwriting and difficulty with basic reading. Aamir recalled how he used to ask Junaid why his writing was so illegible and why he couldn't even write a simple letter like "A." He also mentioned that Junaid would confuse simple words while reading—often saying "from" instead of "for" or mixing up other similar words beginning with "F"—which left Aamir puzzled and concerned.
Later, however, the family discovered that Junaid was dyslexic. Upon learning this, they ensured he received the necessary support. Aamir noted that the story of Taare Zameen Par struck a deep chord with him because it paralleled their journey so closely. He said he initially behaved much like the father character, Nandkishore Awasthi, in the film, who struggled to understand his child's learning difficulties.
He further clarified that he had never previously spoken about Junaid’s condition out of respect for his son’s privacy. Aamir believed it was important that Junaid be the one to share his own story when he felt ready.
Earlier, in January, Junaid Khan had spoken publicly about his diagnosis. In a conversation with journalist Vickey Lalwani, Junaid revealed that both Aamir Khan and his mother, Reena Dutta, began to suspect he had dyslexia while reading the story of Taare Zameen Par. The similarities between the child in the film and Junaid’s own experiences prompted them to seek a diagnosis. Junaid added that his parents were never overly concerned with his academic results and were especially understanding of his condition during his school years.
