Like Stars on Earth
Rent/Purchase
Ishaan Awasthi is an eight-year-old whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate. Colours, fish, dogs, and kites don't seem important to the adults, who are much more interested in things like homework, marks, and neatness. Ishaan cannot seem to get anything right in class; he is then sent to boarding school, where his life changes forever.
What critics thought
Aamir Khan's directorial debut earns broad admiration for its emotionally generous portrait of a dyslexic child, with most critics singling out the performances and the film's willingness to take a subject Bollywood rarely touches seriously. The main fault line runs between those who found its earnestness disarming and those — particularly Western critics — who found it cloying and dramatically inert, arguing the film's good intentions substitute for genuine storytelling tension.
“the filmmaking here is calculatedly flawed because it is all-heart. While it is world-class in terms of sensibility, craft and performances (almost), it does feel the need to reach out, please and educate a mass.”
Sudhish Kamath·The Hindu
“so resolutely caring ... and devoid of real drama and interesting characters”
Derek Kelly·Variety
“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.”
Subhash K. Jha·Bollywood Hungama
“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.”
Rajeev Masand·CNN-IBN
Genres
Drama, Family
Cast & Crew
DirectorAamir Khan
StarringDarsheel Safary, Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma, Tanay Chheda
ComposerLoy Mendonsa, Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani
Like Stars on Earth
Ishaan Awasthi is an eight-year-old whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate. Colours, fish, dogs, and kites don't seem important to the adults, who are much more interested in things like homework, marks, and neatness. Ishaan cannot seem to get anything right in class; he is then sent to boarding school, where his life changes forever.
What critics thought
Aamir Khan's directorial debut earns broad admiration for its emotionally generous portrait of a dyslexic child, with most critics singling out the performances and the film's willingness to take a subject Bollywood rarely touches seriously. The main fault line runs between those who found its earnestness disarming and those — particularly Western critics — who found it cloying and dramatically inert, arguing the film's good intentions substitute for genuine storytelling tension.
“the filmmaking here is calculatedly flawed because it is all-heart. While it is world-class in terms of sensibility, craft and performances (almost), it does feel the need to reach out, please and educate a mass.”
Sudhish Kamath·The Hindu
“so resolutely caring ... and devoid of real drama and interesting characters”
Derek Kelly·Variety
“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.”
Subhash K. Jha·Bollywood Hungama
“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.”
Rajeev Masand·CNN-IBN
Genres
Drama, Family
Cast & Crew
DirectorAamir Khan
StarringDarsheel Safary, Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma, Tanay Chheda
ComposerLoy Mendonsa, Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani
Rent/Purchase