Tare Zameen Par

The best thing about "Taare Zameen Par", besides as a film, is perhaps is its timing considering the rising instances of corporal punishment by teachers in schools. The film not only tells a story of a Dyslexic child who has difficulty in reading and writing, but also reflects the "understated terror" low-scoring students go through in schools and at homes due to high expectations.

The film is about a 'Taara' (gifted children) Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary), a class third student who whenever tries to read find the letters dancing in front of him and makes mirror images of letters in his notebook. And as many parents do, they scold him for failing in third standard and continuing to be a low(est) scorer in the class.

Not able to cope up with his "normal" classmates, this boy with "above normal intelligence" stands outside his class perpetually. So, in the "free time" he gets, this "bindaas" kid likes to explore "inane" things like bright colours, fishes, stars, planets etc. which make his world.

But sadly, his over-ambitious busy executive father and discipline-demanding-ruthless teachers don't appreciate his idea of life as they have a responsibility to "prepare him for the race of life".

The frustrated parents, who ignore his other talents, punish him by sending him to a boarding school, as his "topper" brother - who concedes to his special ability to solve difficult puzzles and paint - looks on.

The only other person who spots his potential as a painter is his art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan) at the boarding school, who later helps the child overcome his loss of confidence and shine above all.

A pure fun for the kids, the film is equally fun for the parents besides a message to for them be sensitive towards their children's dreams and abilities. The eleven-year-old Darsheel Safary is an absolute delight before intermission and a revelation of talent in second half.

He with his exploration of happiness in nature makes you realise the missing essence of life and you can't help but envy him. He carries off the entire first half on his shoulders, that too without Aamir Khan, and succeeds too. A student of Shiamak Davar's dance workshop, Darsheel impresses in many scene than just one and even where she share the screen space all-alone.

Aamir, who as an actor enters the film only by interval, makes an impressive debut as a director. He lends respect to the sensitive subject is chose for his "accidental" maiden directorial venture by his equally concerned treatment. (Aamir went behind the camera for "Taare..." after a lot of names including writer Amol Gupte didn't materialise.)

The only thing that perhaps does not gel well with the film Aamir's fashionable attire for the character he plays. Coupled with his trendy hair do and cool casuals, his college-goer look kind of distracts attention from the otherwise almost flawless film.

Even otherwise, the perfectionist needs applause for his dare to attempt such non-masala stuff, and that too for his debut as a director.

Also, all those who criticised Ashutosh Gowarikar for using "documentary Indian faces" in his Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Swades" are in for surprise. This film has some nice documentary footage of underprivileged kids along with closing credits, and audience cherished their energy, joy and optimism.

The film has cinematography by Setu,lyrics by Prasoon Joshi and music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Enjoyable for all, the film is a must watch for those who have with kids studying in primary classes and below, and, last but not the least, their teachers.

A.R.Rahman As a Singer

A.R Rahman is surely the hot thing in Bollywood now. A couple of days ago, it was buzzed that noted band ‘Kailasa’ has invited Rahman to croon out for them. Now, news is ripe that two of bollywood’s eminent music directors are eyeing on Rahman to hum for them as well.

It is nothing unobvious for a music director to sing for other musicians. Earlier composers like M.S. Viswanathan and Shankar had crooned for others. However, of late, this trend had taken a backseat in Bollywood owing to ego clashes between the musical big shots.

Lately, Rahman’s songs have caught all his Bollywood fans in frenzy. His fine singing act in ‘Guru’, ‘Swades’, ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Dil Se’ has left his fans craving for more.

Buzz is that Himesh Reshammiya, who has sworn to sing only for A.R Rahman other than his own compositions, has expressed his desire to rope in Rahman to croon for him. Close at heels is Adnan Sami who too has placed a similar offer in front of him.

Commenting on the offers Rahman said, “It’s extremely kind of them to think of me, but I can’t just sing like that. When I render a track, I cut myself off from other things. Even for a concert, a couple of days before it I don’t pursue my other music stuff, but just concentrate on the singing.”

Further Rahman added that he hasn’t turned down the offers but will be free to consider them only after he winds up with his present project.

So does that imply a no from the musician? Well, that’s only for him to tell!

aaja nachle

Top nautch. That's Madhuri Dixit in her comeback. Chiselled, charming, chirpy and enchanting, Madhuri dances her way into the tailor made plot and takes to the screen like she has never been away.

Writer Jaideep Sahni has given the gorgeous Dixit a role she can sink her teeth into. The character is rebellious and yet ravishing. A dancer returns from the US to a small conservative town years after she eloped with an American. What happened to her cross-cultural marriage is quickly swept under the carpet in one voice-over statement. She brings with her a cynical little daughter who keeps wondering when she can go home. Frankly, after a while, so do we.

Cinematographer turned director Anil Mehta furnishes the story of a culture clash and the prodigal daughter's return to her roots with a minty melt-in-the-mouth sensation. You have it. And you move on.

In a film that addresses itself to the critical question of cultural erosion, there's a lamentable lack of lucidity in the narration. You are given the characters that govern the theme but you aren't given a chance to look at their lives and socio-cultural conflicts in any depth or detail.

Too many people inhabit Mehta's quaint, appealing, but finally unsubstantiated world of half-lived dreams and forgotten values.

The screenplay resorts to the oldest trick in the book of inspirational art. A bunch of chronic losers are provided encouragement and final triumph with the help of a disgraced coach.

'Aaja Nachle' takes the 'Lagaan' and 'Chak De India' scenario and trans-locates it to the fine arts. The results are fitfully humorous and enticing but never exploratory in any serious or durable way.

Madhuri's character is spunky, fiery, and acerbic, and is liable to give the sardonic businessman (Akshay Khanna in a surprisingly warm cameo) a tongue-lashing with the same ferocity that she invests into sweet-talking the local politician (Akhilendra Mishra) into political patronage.

But somewhere the romantic sub-plot featuring Kunal Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma as the local goon and female buffoon, respectively, gets the better of the narration.

In the second-half, Anil Mehta's storytelling begins to sag. Thankfully, Madhuri's acting does not.

Stunningly statuesque and expressive, she carries the weight of the over-populated plot on her frail shoulders with endearing enthusiasm. But even Madhuri is unequal to the task when the absurdities begin to pile up in a plot that culminates in the naive idealism of the lengthy Laila-Majnu skit.

Though there's much talk of sanskriti (culture), kalaa (art) and sabhyata (civilisation) in the dialogues, none of this gets a roomy or deep representation in any of the sequences. Too busy cutting the scenes into trendy snippets, the editor somewhere loses the essence and spirit of the cultural theme.

The multitudinous characters of the dusty town, brilliantly captured on camera by Mohanan, prepare for a dance ballet on Laila-Majnu with as much seriousness as a bunch of kindergarten students putting together a birthday skit for their favourite teacher.

Besides the majestic Madhuri, the rest of talented cast also gets seriously supportive in this pale tale of losers and hooters. Standing out in the vast cast are Ranbir Shorey as Madhuri's still besotted jilted husband-to-be and Vinay Pathak as her stuffy landlord who learns to loosen up.

The actors rise and shine even when they are given ridiculous lines to mouth. For example, Irrfan Khan as the stereotypical real-estate shark sinks his teeth into a role that requires an out-and-out filmy villainy.

The choreography, sets and costumes convey no sense of continuity. In the climax, gym-built beefcakes emerge from nowhere in the backward town to line up as dancers. The venue for dance performances looks like a plaster of Paris representation of Roman ruins. While the plot talks of fine arts and culture, Madhuri's dances look like carryovers from her dhak-dhak days.

Having said all this, let's make it explicitly clear that 'Aaja Nachle' rises notches above the routine. Its heart is in the right place, even if the rationale of staging a musical play to redeem a sagging town falls apart somewhere down the line.