I am glad Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par made it as India’s official entry to the Oscars. And unlike his previous Oscar entry, Lagaan, this film isn’t that long and neither do the songs seem out of place. So he doesn’t have to remove the songs to appease the Oscar jury this time, because they are an integral part of the film and carry the story forward.
And that is indeed the art of filmmaking. Every frame needs to be accountable and yet be a commercial film all the way. No Man’s Land (which won ‘best foreign film’ Oscar) had it in oodles. So does this one, though on a different theme.
But what makes TZP all the more global is its universal theme of dyslexia. It can happen to anyone, age, caste, creed, nationality no bar.
So if you still haven’t watched the film, do now. Don’t wait for it to win the Oscar before you watch it.
Oscar or no Oscar, it has already won many hearts. And I am glad that the film is a blockbuster in India having earned more than Rs 65 crore from theatrical business in India alone. That shows the audience has grown up to like well-made films.
Ofcourse, without the presence of Aamir, the film could have bombed. But then, that’s what Aamir Khan achieved. Balanced art and commercial cinema and laughed all the way to Swiss bank.
Congrats, Aamir!
P.S: For more such Bollywood stories, please visit my movie-based blog: http://www.bollywoodviews.com.