Like Stars on Earth
Taare Zameen Par (titled Like Stars on Earth internationally) is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language drama film produced and directed by Aamir Khan. The film explores the life and imagination of Ishaan, an 8-year-old dyslexic child. Although he excels in art, his poor academic performance leads his parents to send him to a boarding school. Ishaan’s new art teacher suspects that he has dyslexia and helps him to overcome his disability. Darsheel Safary stars as 8-year-old Ishaan, and Aamir Khan plays his art teacher.
Creative director and writer Amole Gupte initially developed the idea with his wife Deepa Bhatia, who served as the film’s editor. Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy composed the film’s score, and Prasoon Joshi wrote the lyrics for many of the songs. Principal photography took place in Mumbai and Panchgani’s New Era High School, and some of the school’s students make appearances.
The film made its theatrical debut in India on 21 December 2007, and UTV Home Entertainment released a DVD for Indian audiences in 2008. Disney’s later release of the international edition DVD marked the first purchase of distribution rights for an Indian film by a global company.
Taare Zameen Par has received numerous awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Film for 2008 and the 2008 National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare. It was India’s official entry for the 2009 Academy Awards Best Foreign Film but did not progress to the short-list.