Sitaare Zameen Par FIRST review: Aamir Khan shines in a flawed but heartfelt tale

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Sitaare Zameen Par movie REVIEW

Sitaare Zameen Par, positioned as a spiritual sequel to Taare Zameen Par, explores neurodivergence through the lens of humour, emotion, and redemption. While it adapts the Spanish film Campeones, the story finds its own cultural roots in India. The film, directed by RS Prasanna, follows Gulshan, an impulsive assistant basketball coach who finds himself sentenced to community service after a drunken brawl. He must now train a group of intellectually disabled individuals for a national-level basketball tournament — a journey that transforms not just them, but him too.

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The film stands out for its portrayal of people with conditions such as autism, Down’s Syndrome, and Fragile X Syndrome. What sets it apart is the dignified and light-hearted way their lives are depicted. Rather than relying on melodrama, the film embraces their quirks with warmth and humour — whether it's their inability to follow instructions, their quirky behaviours, or their vibrant personalities. These moments are treated with tenderness, avoiding the overly sentimental tone that often plagues such narratives.

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While Aamir Khan delivers a sincere performance as Gulshan, it’s the ensemble cast of neurodivergent actors who truly shine. Each of them brings charm, comic timing, and authenticity to the screen, with Simran Mangeshkar’s portrayal of Golu Khan standing out as particularly memorable. Her boldness and eccentricity add layers of both comedy and empowerment to the narrative. Other supporting actors like Gurpal Singh and Brijendra Kala lend depth to the film’s emotional core.

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Despite its heartfelt premise, the film struggles with pacing. Clocking in at nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes, the story drags in the second half. The desire to tie up every character’s arc and emotional thread results in a meandering, overly preachy finale. The emotional impact is often undercut by an excessive effort to moralize, making the final stretch feel more like a lesson in ethics than storytelling. Subplots, like Gulshan's unresolved family issues and his mother’s late-life transformation, feel forced and underdeveloped.

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Even with its shortcomings, Sitaare Zameen Par deserves credit for tackling neurodiversity — a rarely represented theme in Indian cinema. It challenges outdated perceptions and promotes inclusivity, encouraging audiences to rethink the definition of “normal.” At a time when action blockbusters and nationalistic dramas dominate the box office, this film offers a refreshing shift in tone and subject matter. Though not flawless, it succeeds in starting a much-needed conversation and is worth a watch, especially since Aamir Khan reportedly has no plans to release it on streaming platforms.