A momentary creative concussion is what we manifest every time Bollywood’s perfectionist hits the notes—Aamir Khan it is! The Masti Ki Paathshala never gets old, and neither does our yearning for one such paathshala in real life; fortunately, his films do the very best out of it. But does it end there? Or do we have more in the unveiling layers of AK’s films?
The paathshalas like that never got its ‘ruh’ as much as we ask for it. The Goa plans did not materialise as his Dil Chahta Hai almost propelled; neither did the world celebrate a critical thinker like Rancho, nor did we have teachers like Nikumbh who would tell the world about ‘Taare Zameen Par.”
But there are buffs like us who, like fools, step with the belief that the flip shall happen one day and every day. And we will have this magic wand in one hand and sprinkle spells, saying ‘alohomora,’ and every locked door opens. Do you not feel it in your nerves as you watch his films?
3 Idiots? The classic ‘Virus Ki Pen?’ What is that pen, in its metaphorical wizardry? Conscience, maybe? Or is it the ‘bird’s eye’ that we need to hit to get validated by the world? Emotions ran high, beliefs bewildered us, and we went on with dreams like Rancho. Running after excellence and not success.
Hmmm; so, are we there? Is Aamir Khan there? Historically yes. Legacy-wise, yes and yes. But statistics? Laal Singh Chaddha, an absolutely charming Indian adaptation of Forrest Gump, failed.
Scoreboard? Excellence- 1, Success- 0.
So, does excellence always bring you success? Or do we need to dumb it down? Wonder if all the above films were released today, would they have the massive success they had back then? Situations do not say so. Times have changed. It’s the Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha’s market now, they question life in other ways, and we can’t really make a way for that. These generations, while swearing on delusions, aren’t very delusional like us.
Uncertainties have taken the front seat now. But AK is AK. He has always known the pulse. AK’s grace can never be diluted. And there he comes with Sitaare Zameen Par, a sequel to Taare Zameen Par. The film is an adaptation of the Spanish cinema: Champions. It stars Aamir Khan and Genelia Deshmukh in lead roles. This time, it will be dealing with ‘neurodivergent adults,’ and it will yield a new perspective on life.
We are currently eyeing the trailer, which is stalled due to the ongoing tensions at the border. But yes, a question definitely persists in the back of our minds: whether AK shall be able to bounce back with this one, after the massive failure of his last film.
At this point, nothing can but put down papers, and we can’t say something shall 100% work. But if I hyper-fixate myself on ‘neurodivergence,’ that is something crucial to deal with in today’s time—an aspect that’s ignored in a country like India, and many such other facets too. The audience has to have a clear mind and intention to watch it from an ‘Indian’ perspective this time.
Ideally, if we constantly drop intellectual comparisons of the Champions and Sitaare Zameen Par, it will always lead to a damp squib. Just how it occurred with Laal Singh Chaddha.
Many Indians are not variably acquainted with the global cinema spectrum, so before something strikes the inception, as an audience, we must not make an anticlimactic vicissitude so much that the unaware audience doesn’t get to taste it; even if it is ‘second-hand,’ let them.
That’s how it inspires one to become a buff. Recognising is the key. And for that, we are all for Sitaare Zameen Par. Fingers crossed.
