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eventually boycotted the film; INOX Operations Manager Pushpendra Singh Rathod
stated that "INOX is with Gujarat, and not isolated from it". [75]
International Dyslexia Association [ edit ] The International Dyslexia
Association screened Taare Zameen Par on 29 October 2008 in Seattle,
Washington . Khan noted in his official blog that there were about 200 people
in the audience and that he was "curious to see the response of a non-Indian
audience to what we had made." He felt some concern that Taare Zameen Par was
shown in a conference room rather than a cinema hall and was projected as a
DVD rather than as a film. He said that the showing concluded to an
"absolutely thunderous standing ovation" which "overwhelmed" him and that he
"saw the tears streaming down the cheeks of the audience." Khan also noted
that the reaction to the film "was exactly as it had been with audiences back
home in India". [78] [79] Home media [ edit ] UTV Home Entertainment released
the film on DVD in India on 25 July 2008. [80] [81] It was launched at
Darsheel Safary's school, Green Lawns High School, in Mumbai. Aamir Khan,
Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma, Sachet Engineer, and the rest of the cast and crew
were present. In his speech, Khan stated, "Darsheel is a very happy child,
full of life and vibrant. I am sure it's because of the way his parents and
teachers have treated him. I must say Darsheel's principal Mrs. Bajaj has been
extremely supportive and encouraging. The true test of any school is how happy
the kids are and by the looks of it, the children here seem really happy."
[82] Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment , whose parent company previously
acquired 33 percent of UTV Software Communications, bought the DVD rights for
distribution in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia for ₹ 70
million (US$880,000). [83] This marked "the first time an international studio
has bought the video rights of an Indian film." [84] Retitling it Like Stars
on Earth , Disney released the film in Region 2 on 26 October 2009, [85] in
Region 1 on 12 January 2010, [86] and in Region 4 on 29 March 2010. [87] A
three-disc set, the Disney version features the original Hindi audio
soundtrack with English subtitles or another dubbed in English, as well as
bonus material such as audio commentary, deleted scenes, and the musical
soundtrack. [88] The film is available on Netflix . [89] Reception [ edit ]
Critical response [ edit ] Critics praised Aamir Khan for his directorial
debut, which garnered him many awards and nominations. Taare Zameen Par
received widespread critical acclaim upon release. On the review aggregator
website Rotten Tomatoes , 93% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an
average rating of 7.4/10. [90] Subhash K. Jha suggests that the film is "a
work of art, a water painting where the colors drip into our hearts, which
could easily have fallen into the motions of over-sentimentality. Aamir Khan
holds back where he could easily resort to an extravagant display of drama and
emotions." [91] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN argued that the true power of the
film lies in its "remarkable, rooted, rock-solid script which provides the
landscape for such an emotionally engaging, heart-warming experience." [92]
Manish Gajjar from the BBC stated that the film "touches your heart and moves
you deeply with its sterling performances. [It is] a film full of substance!"
[93] Jaspreet Pandohar, also of BBC, posited that Taare Zameen Par is a "far
cry from the formulaic masala flicks churned out by the Bollywood machine,"
and is "an inspirational story that is as emotive as it is entertaining; this
is a little twinkling star of a movie." [94] Furthermore, Aprajita Anil of
Screen gave the film four stars and stated, " Taare Zameen Par cannot be
missed. Because it is different. Because it is delightful. Because it would
make everyone think. Because it would help everyone grow. Because very rarely
do performances get so gripping. And of course because the 'perfectionist'
actor has shaped into a 'perfectionist' director." [95] In addition, filmmaker
Anurag Kashyap stated that, " Taare Zameen Par took me back to my hostel days.
If you take away the dyslexia, it seems like my story. The film affected me so
deeply that I was almost left speechless. After watching the film , I was
asked how I liked Taare Zameen Par. I could not talk as I was deeply
overwhelmed." [96] However, there were some criticisms. Jha's only objection
to the film was Nikumbh's "sanctimonious lecture" to Ishaan's "rather
theatrically-played" father. Jha found this a jarring "deviation from the
delectable delicacy" of the film's tone. [91] Although she applauded the film
overall and recommended "a mandatory viewing for all schools and all parents",
Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India believed the second half was "a bit
repetitive," the script needed "taut editing," and Ishaan's trauma "[seemed] a
shade too prolonged and the treatment simplistic." [97] Despite commending the
"great performances" and excellent directing, Gautaman Bhaskaran of The
Hollywood Reporter , too, suggested that the movie "suffers from a weak
script." [98] Likewise, Derek Kelly of Variety criticized it for what he
described as its "touchy-feely-ness" attention to "a special needs kid's
plight." Kelly also disliked the film for being "so resolutely caring ... and
devoid of real drama and interesting characters" that "it should have
'approved by the Dyslexia Assn.' stamped on the posters." [99] Scholarly
response [ edit ] In his article " Taare Zameen Par and dyslexic savants"
featured in the Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology , Ambar Chakravarty
noted the general accuracy of Ishaan's dyslexia. Though Chakravarty was
puzzled by Ishaan's trouble in simple arithmetic—a trait of dyscalculia rather
than dyslexia—he reasoned it was meant to "enhance the image of [Ishaan's]
helplessness and disability". Labeling Ishaan an example of "dyslexic savant
syndrome", he especially praised the growth of Ishaan's artistic talents after
receiving help and support from Nikumbh, and deemed it the "most important
(and joyous) neurocognitive phenomenon" of the film. This improvement
highlights cosmetic neurology, a "major and therapeutically important issue"
in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology . [100] Likewise, in their
article "Wake up call from 'Stars on the Ground'" for the Indian Journal of
Psychiatry , T. S. Sathyanarayana Rao and V. S. T. Krishna wrote that the film
"deserves to be vastly appreciated as an earnest endeavor to portray with
sensitivity and empathetically diagnose a malady in human life". They also
felt it blended "modern professional knowledge" with a "humane approach" in
working with a dyslexic child. However, the authors believed the film expands
beyond disabilities and explores the "present age where everyone is in a
restless hurry". The pair wrote, "This film raises serious questions on mental
health perspectives. We seem to be heading to a state of mass scale
mindlessness even as children are being pushed to 'perform'. Are we seriously
getting engrossed in the race of 'achievement' and blissfully becoming numb to
the crux of life i.e., experiencing meaningful living in a broader frame
rather than merely existing?" The film depicts how "threats and coercion are
not capable of unearthing rich human potentialities deeply embedded in
children", and that teachers should instead map their strengths and weakness.
With this in mind, the author felt that Khan "dexterously drives home the