In the Eyes of A Child
Albert Einstein. Leonardo da Vinci. Pablo Picasso. Thomas Alva Edison. Walt Disney.
They are world renowned people, great names, famous in their own field...but what else is common in them? They were people who had different childhoods than the rest of us. They saw the world in a different perspective. When children of their same age had no difficulty understanding letters and numbers, reading and writing, these people put up a brave face and proved the world that EVERY CHILD IS SPECIAL.
This is the theme of the movie, Taare Zameen Par (Like Stars on Earth) or Every Child is Special. It was directed by Aamir Khan, one of my favorites, and it starred Darsheel Safary, alongside Khan himself. Safary, who played the role of Ishaan, was the main character of the film. Ishaan was a boy who repeated his Third Grade classes twice because he has difficulty in learning, which his father blames for lack of discipline. As the movie progressed, it was discovered that Ishaan had Dyslexia. His family was not able to learn about his condition until Nikumbh, an art teacher, played by Khan, discovered it. It was later found out that Nikumbh used to have the same disorder before. Ishaan, like Khan, has superb skills in painting, and later on, Khan used Ishaan's love for art to make him learn all the things children his age should learn. On the movie climax, Ishaan won in an art fair and defeated his teacher. Nikumbh and Ishaan's painting were used for the school's paper.
The first half of the film was sort of boring and dragging. It focused solely on the life of Ishaan. The music was unlively, too. However, there was a paradigm shift in the second half of the film. Here, Nikumbh entered the scene and the song on this part, was for me, the best in the whole movie. The second half was full of lessons and realizations.
The movie tells us that each and everyone of us is unique. Amidst us are gems who had changed the world, for they can see the world in a different spectrum. If we want to, we, too, can make a difference. It doesn't always have to be big. Making a difference is not just in making great nor new inventions or theories. It's not about all those being famous and renowned. Sometimes, it's in simply conquering your fear or correcting your mistakes, or better yet, in learning something new.
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| Ishaan's Award Winning Work |
Some people view life as a tough battle of survival, a competition. Some parents are like that. And sometimes, because of this belief, they have built a life of pressure and high expectations on their children. And sometimes, it really is just too hard to please them or get the attention, care and love we wanted. Some even result to rebellion. The movie tells us not only that each one is unique. It tells us, particularly, the parents, that sometimes, their children don't feel enough love and care from them.
Lastly, the movie was overflowing with creativity and imagination. It shows us how great a child's imagination can be. However, only a small portion of this imagination is left, when we grow up. When words can't capture what you want to express, you can always turn to other alternatives. In the movie, Ishaan's way of expressing his self is through art.
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| Nikumbh's Work |
Though I was bored in the earlier parts, the last parts certainly had made a mark on me. As for my last words, let me give you a few lines from the movie:
Free your mind.Spread you wings.Let the colors fly. Let's spin new dreams!
