Aamir Khan바카라s genius lies in his intuitive grasp of what resonates in the theatre. The jolting power of a Ram Sampath soundtrack or the lightly offensive comedy, sewn together with well-intended yet overstated moralistic jargon, does wonders. While a film like Sitaare Zameen Par, directed by RS Prasanna, establishes itself as a remake of the Spanish film Champions (2018), it has been moulded to blend well within the Indian context, specifically its censor board restrictions. PM Modi바카라s quote before the disclaimers, or the ridiculous CBFC revisions ostensibly designed to safeguard the sanctity of 바카라businesswomen바카라 and even more, the 바카라lotus바카라바카라 seem entirely outdated.
Setting these disclaimers aside, the film promises to follow the familiar blueprint of Aamir바카라s previous ventures. The storytelling suffers, but never loudly enough to disrupt the viewing experience바카라much like Laapata Ladies (2023) or Superboys of Malegaon (2025). Make no mistake, these are commendable films, yet here Aamir does not venture into truly uncharted territory; rather, he bares himself openly, only this time, he is the 바카라sitara바카라. In doing so, he attempts to prove why he continues to be one of the finest producers operating in an industry, which has been creatively lulled into inertia.
To bring one바카라s insecurity into the plot of a film, to be made fun of, yet own it, is something Aamir manages to pull off. There are countless jokes바카라both within the film and beyond바카라where Aamir falls short. And yet, he offers himself up willingly, as the butt of the joke (There바카라s a butt joke in the film too, but let바카라s keep that for later).


Aamir plays Gulshan Arora, a tough, emotionally avoidant junior basketball coach, shaped by a Delhi that gifted him arrogance, rage, frustration바카라and of course, a heart. He is emblematic of the 바카라he바카라s not angry, he바카라s just passionate바카라 sportsman archetype. As a coach, Gulshan is acutely aware of his calibre, but his intolerance for even a hint of disrespect becomes his undoing. In a surreal twist of cinematic self-reference, Khan breaks into a reprise of 바카라Bhaag Bhaag DK Bose바카라 from his own production Delhi Belly (2011). Similar to Tashi (Imraan Khan), a drunk Gulshan hurtles through a car chase sequence, the anthem blaring behind him. It바카라s self-referential, almost indulgent, but in that moment, strangely effective.
Khan is supported by a lively and energetic cast of ten, united by a court-appointed corrective measure that irrevocably binds their fates. Reminiscent of the now-iconic Abhijeet Bhattacharya troll comment, Gulshan바카라s senior coach Paswan ji (Deepraj Rana) bluntly declares, 바카라Aap coach bohot ache ho par aadmi suar ho.바카라 Gulshan is deliberately written as an unlikeable man바카라this is his burden and the path he must traverse to evolve.
Like sugar that requires stirring to dissolve and impart its sweetness to tea, the unlikely team initially struggles to find harmony, fractured by early hiccups and resistance. Gulshan is immediately met with disdain, as one teammate, Sharmaji (Rishi Shahani), bluntly remarks, 바카라Naya coach gadha hai!바카라 He is the very antithesis of the sweetness and resolution he so desperately seeks바카라standing instead on the other side of vulnerability and the death of his ego. Meanwhile, a rift festers between Gulshan and his wife Sunita (Genelia D바카라souza), a tension only fully unveiled later in the narrative. Genelia바카라whose bubbly and fierce Aditi in another Aamir production, Jaane Tu바카라Š Ya Jaane Na (2008), remains memorable바카라here shares with Aamir a chemistry that is not only lacking but distinctly unsavory.


The noteworthy aspect of Sitaare Zameen Par lies in its relentless attempt to avoid becoming a savior narrative바카라a feat it manages to conceal for a while, but ultimately falters at. For instance, there바카라s a scene where Preeto (Dolly Ahluwalia), Gulshan바카라s mother recounts his childhood, reminding him how she once fought his coach to let him pursue basketball despite him being short, declaring, 바카라Someone has to fight for the people who are different.바카라 And now, that someone is Gautam, resolved to coach a chaotic yet lovable team of ten through various basketball tournaments.
Unlike Ram Nikumbh in Taare Zameen Par (2007), Gulshan is neither as sensitive nor as internally balanced in his approach toward his students, though the same dogged persistence remains. Nikumbh, as an art teacher, embodies empathy and likability바카라almost a knight in shining armor, but it is Darsheel Safary바카라s Ishaan, who is granted enough dignity and focus to reclaim the film from Aamir, outshining him with quiet authority. This, precisely, is what makes Taare Zameen Par an unequivocal success deserving of all its acclaim. Sitaare Zameen Par, though, doesn바카라t quite manage to let the others outshine Aamir.
Despite being first-time actors, the cast is an absolute delight on screen. They are neurodivergent both in life and performance, and their quirks are written so as to own their personalities with pride. Yet, not every moment feels earned. Some instances are framed as comic relief, drawn from Gulshan바카라s biases, and not all of them sit right. Sitaare Zameen Par is deeply invested in Gautam바카라s uninspired coaching arc바카라a personal crisis thinly disguised as a team story. The film바카라s heart is unmistakably in the right place, though one cannot help but wonder바카라Is Aamir the real 바카라sitara바카라 in this story?
Covering every character바카라s backstory with the song 바카라Good for Nothing바카라 by Amitabh Bhattacharya and Shankar바카라Ehsaan바카라Loy, the film leans into lazy exposition at several points. Kartar Paaji (Gurpal Singh) is reduced to the archetype of the protagonist바카라s wise elder바카라a man tasked not only with guiding Gautam inward but also bearing the emotional labour of educating the viewer. The title itself, 바카라Sabka Apna Apna Normal바카라, insists on tolerance, reiterating the need to stay open to those who don바카라t look, speak, feel, act, or think like us. And in doing so, it gestures kindly바카라if a little fleetingly바카라towards the often-unseen realm of 바카라invisible바카라 disabilities, particularly through Hargovind (Naman Misra), reminding us that everyone moves through their own spectrum of ability in ways that aren바카라t always visible, but no less real. Sitaare Zameen Par is witty in parts바카라sometimes absurd, sometimes sharply timed. These moments shimmer briefly, self-aware yet chaotic, holding the film바카라s humour together like a delicate thread.
In the many instances where Gulshan scratches his head, out of frustration, shyness, or something in between바카라emerges an Aamir who seems to carry a quiet, but evident sense of responsibility and passion for the story he바카라s chosen to tell. The film touches on phobias too, framing them not as dramatic obstacles but as intimate fears that can be softened with the right support. Aamir바카라s own claustrophobia바카라his fear of lifts and what could go wrong inside them바카라is mirrored in Guddu바카라s fear of drowning. Together, they nudge each other toward courage in a way that feels understated, almost tender바카라offering a glimpse into the film바카라s emotional intent, even when the craft itself falters.
The flaw in storytelling lingers throughout, but reveals itself most plainly when the final conflict emerges. It feels lazy, convenient, underwhelming, and too neat an obstacle, placed there just to bring Sunita and Gulshan closer. Sunita, the ever-patient wife who loves her husband a little too much despite his endless annoyances, listens, sighs, and rolls her eyes바카라sometimes all at once.
What doesn바카라t sit right with me, though, is the film바카라s perspective on parenthood. While Sunita and Gulshan are at odds, Sitaare바카라Š frames the debate in a way that demands justification for opting out, rather than honouring it as a personal, private choice. Parenthood is not something one should be guilted into, nor a milestone to be reached simply because one has 바카라grown up.바카라 Gulshan바카라s refusal hinges oddly on a fear of raising an 바카라intellectually disabled kid바카라바카라a concern voiced conveniently before he even meets the team. The reasoning feels too constructed, too neat. Sometimes, a person just doesn바카라t want children. That should be reason enough. There was no need for an entire narrative arc and ensemble cast to subtly convince him otherwise.
Sitaare Zameen Par is undeniably a crowd-pleaser, yet it lacks the sustained ethos and wit needed to fully justify its storytelling. Amidst the team he seeks to uplift, Aamir remains a distinct presence바카라perhaps inevitably so for Aamir Khan Productions. Still, it is genuinely refreshing to witness neurodivergent actors inhabiting their roles with such effortless authenticity. In the end, alongside bringing brilliant actors to the forefront, Sitaare Zameen Par succeeds in making theatres both cry and laugh바카라and perhaps, that is its victory, and nothing more.