Star Cast: Aamir Khan, Genelia Deshmukh, Ashish Pendse, Aayush Bhansali, GopiKrishnan K Verma, Simran Mangeshkar, Aroush Datta, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Vedant Sharma, Samvit Desai, Naman Misra
Director: R S Prasanna
Sitaare Zameen Par Movie Review Synopsis:
SITAARE ZAMEEN PAR is the story of a brash coach and his life-changing experience. Gulshan Arora (Aamir Khan) is the assistant basketball coach at the Delhi Sports Association. During the Delhi vs Karnataka match at the National Basketball League, Gagan gets into a fight with the head coach, Paswan (Deepraj Rana) and assaults him. Gulshan is suspended. The same day, while returning home, he gets drunk and bangs his car with a police vehicle. The judge, Anupama Mandal (Tarana Raja) asks him to do community service, that is coach a basketball team consisting of neurodivergent people, who are affected with Autism and Down Syndrome. Gulshan, at first, is not happy to be heading a team of ‘mental’ players. But soon, Gulshan’s outlook changes and even influences his relationship with his estranged wife, Suneeta (Genelia Deshmukh). What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Sitaare Zameen Par Movie Story Review:
SITAARE ZAMEEN PAR is the official remake of CAMPEONES [2018]. The story is fabulous. Divy Nidhi Sharma’s adapted screenplay is full of entertaining and touching moments. Divy Nidhi Sharma’s dialogues are simple yet effective and enhances the humour and emotional quotient of the movie.
R S Prasanna’s direction is superb. To begin with, SITAARE ZAMEEN PAR is not a scene-to-scene remake, as alleged. The makers have added a few sequences, which were not present in CAMPEONES and is very well inserted into the narrative. From start to finish, the film is a fun and light-hearted ride with never a dull or boring moment. The characters are very well fleshed out, especially that of Gulshan. While making viewers laugh, it also educates them about the characteristics of neurodivergent people. Its sure to be an eye-opener. Unlike the predecessor, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR [2007], there are hardly any scenes which will make viewers teary-eyed. Yet, the impact is made.
On the flipside, the first half is just alright and the high is missing during this hour. The approach taken by the makers, with the sports scenes, is different than the one we are used to. One might get a feeling that the characters are able to easily win the match or that the matches are not given their importance. 2-3 funny scenes don’t land well. Lastly, the music is not upto the mark.
SITAARE ZAMEEN PAR has a straightforward opening. The character of Aamir is not introduced with a dramatic entry sequence. The first 10-15 minutes neatly establishes Gulshan and the life he’s living. The film gets better once Gulshan has his first lesson with the basketball team of neurodivergent people. The scene where Kartar Paaji (Gurpal Singh) enlightens Gulshan about the lives of his team players is heartening. The intermission point is sweet. Post-interval, the entertainment increases as Golu Khan (Simran Mangeshkar) gets introduced. The scenes where Suneeta agrees to join the team and Kartar refuses to join the national team are unconvincing as their reasons for doing so are not properly established. The madness in the bus also gets a bit far-fetched. However, the film shows his brilliance in the last 45 minutes once the team arrive in Mumbai. The elevator scene is funny but watch out for the scene thereafter. It will bring the house down. The finale will induce a lot of emotions in the viewers. The final scene and the end credit visuals are worthy.
Sitaare Zameen Par | Official Trailer | Aamir Khan | Genelia Deshmukh
Sitaare Zameen Par Movie Review Performances:
Aamir Khan is in top form, especially compared to his act in his last film, LAAL SINGH CHADDHA [2022]. He gets completely into the skin of his character and delivers an outstanding performance. Genelia Deshmukh is hardly there in the first half but dominates the post-interval portions. She’s top-notch and proves yet again why she deserves to be seen more. Gurpal Singh plays a crucial role with perfection. Dolly Ahluwalia Tewari (Preeto) and Tarana Raja leave a mark in supporting roles. Brijendra Kala (Daulat ji) seems wasted at first but turns out to be the surprise of the film. Deepraj Rana is decent. Happy Ranajit (Surinder; Gulshan’s lawyer) Sham Mashalkar (Rustom), Nikhat Khan Hegde (Hargovind’s mother) and Amin Hajee (Ashok) have special appearances and perform ably. And finally, coming to the ‘sitaares’. Ashish Pendse (Sunil), Aayush Bhansali (Lotus), GopiKrishnan K Verma (Guddu) and Simran Mangeshkar leave the maximum impact followed by Aroush Datta (Satbir), Rishi Shahani (Sharma ji), Rishabh Jain (Raju), Vedant Sharma (Bantu), Samvit Desai (Kareem Qureshi). Naman Misra (Hargovind) stands out due to his character and performance.
Sitaare Zameen Par movie music and other technical aspects:
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is one of the weakest parts of the film. But they are well-woven into the narrative. The title track and ‘Good For Nothing’ work to some extent. ‘Shubh Mangalam’ is worth watching for the visuals. ‘Sar Aankhon Pe Mere’ is forgettable. Ram Sampath’s background score is in sync with the film’s mood.
Srinivas Reddy’s cinematography is satisfactory. Sylvan Desmond’s basketball coaching and sports choreography is praiseworthy. Parvez Shaikh’s action is minimal. Nikhil Kovale and Apurva Vijay Bhagat’s production design is rich yet realistic while Sachin Lovalekar’s costumes are straight out of life. Charu Shree Roy’s editing is smooth.
Sitaare Zameen Par Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, SITAARE ZAMEEN PAR is quintessential Aamir Khan – cinema that enlightens, entertains, and leaves you with a smile. The final 40 minutes are the film’s emotional crescendo, lifting the narrative to dizzying heights. These sitaaare shine bright and are bound to win your heart. At the box office, the film may open on a modest note, as anticipated, but is poised to witness dramatic growth over the weekend – paving the way for a strong and steady lifetime run. What’s also commendable is Aamir Khan’s unwavering belief in the theatrical experience – he’s backed this film with full conviction, and audiences just might return the favour generously. Recommended!