This one goes beyond the box office and stars – Beyond Bollywood

There are many conscientious filmmakers, actors, but very few can portray social causes in cinema with as much humanity as Aamir Khan. Though a spiritual successor to Taare Zameen Par, and based on the Spanish film Campeones [2018], the Hindi remake — judging by the trailer — already seems to have its heart in the right place.

By Mayur Lookhar

The India-Pakistan conflict has gripped the nation so emotionally that nothing else has mattered to yours truly. Although a ceasefire was announced three days ago, the lingering fear of another violation by Pakistan has kept the nation on edge. Last evening, the Sitaare Zameen Par {2025] trailer began trending on social media, but the emotional weight of the ongoing conflict meant that many of us just didn’t feel like watching it.  What didn’t help either was the lack of communication from the attaché de presse.

A day later, Sitaare Zameen Par is trending again — this time because the Boycott Bollywood brigade is up in arms with its usual calls to boycott an Aamir Khan film. Clearly, the social media nationalists have yet to forgive Aamir Khan for his ill-timed visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s presidential mansion in 2020.Well, that debate is likely to linger on, but this article is focused on sharing our perspective on the Sitaare Zameen Par trailer.

A spiritual successor to Khan’s 2007 acclaimed film Taare Zameen Par [2025], Sitaare Zameen Par is actually a remake of the 2018 Spanish film Campeones. The very mention of a remake irks cinephiles.  Hey, but didn’t Spain adapt Khan’s 3 Idiots (2009)? Guess it’s time for the Iberian nation to return the favour. Comparative analysis will follow in due course, but first, it’s important to review the Sitaare Zameen Par trailer on its own terms. 

The Spanish film is a sports comedy about a hopeless, temperamental coach who is tasked with training a basketball team of ‘special’ talents. The temptation must have been strong for director R.S. Prasanna, writer Divy Nidhi Sharma, and actor-producer Aamir Khan to adapt the story to a more popular Indian sport. Credit to Aamir Khan and team for resisting that temptation and instead sticking to the core idea of the original Spanish film.

Very early in the trailer, we’re introduced to the ‘special’ talents—one of whom kicks a basketball onto the ceiling, prompting a worried Gulshan (Aamir Khan) to ask, “What the hell was that?” The humble player replies, “Sixer.”

It’s a vital moment that captures both the cricket obsession of this nation and, at the same time, reminds us why the American sport of basketball is still a long way from achieving mass popularity in India.

Though a sports comedy about a foreign sport, Sitaare Zameen Par isn’t focused on promoting any particular sport. Instead, it’s about empowering every special individual in this country. There are many conscientious filmmakers and actors, but very few can portray social causes in cinema with as much humanity as Aamir Khan. We admired Khan for his sensitivity, maturity in Taare Zameen Par but what’s intriguing in Sitaare Zameen Par is the stark contrast in his character compared to the former.

Aamir Khan has scaled the highest peaks in his career, so the last two duds don’t really dent his image or stardom. But he is human, and it’s only natural to feel hurt by the poor response to films like Thugs of Hindustan (2018) and Laal Singh Chaddha (2022). The latter, perhaps, stung more. Add to that the constant noise from the Bollywood Boycott brigade, and it’s hard to imagine Khan not feeling low.

If this writer were in Aamir Khan’s shoes, he’d be searching for a cathartic moment. That first glimmer came through the brilliant Dream XI ad films, where Khan is portrayed as a cocky, impulsive, yet vulnerable character. One moment stands out—when cricketer Hardik Pandya tells Aamir he’d feel an inferiority complex joining Ranbir Kapoor because Ranbir is more handsome, “but that’s not the case with you.” The delayed reaction from Khan, followed by his sharp, visibly offended response, “Abey, kya bola?”—now that’s the Aamir we’ve been craving to see for years. The Dream XI ads showed us that, going forward, the superstar isn’t afraid to present himself as vain, vulnerable.

Well, it appears that Khan has carried that impulsiveness—that anger—into Sitaare Zameen Par. Gulshan, an alcoholic and a temperamental character, slaps his head coach after the latter calls him a swine. Clearly, he is struggling to come to terms with his suspension, and things spiral further when he rams his car into a police vehicle.

More than a punishment, the court assigns him community service, where he is tasked with coaching a basketball team of intellectually disabled players.

What stands out is the maturity shown by director R.S. Prasanna and writer Divy Nidhi Sharma in not labelling these players as “special.” That choice, in itself, is a lesson for all of us.

Gulshan, naturally upset and insensitive, ridicules the judge’s order. He shamelessly says, “Madam, teen mahine paagalon ko sikhaunga.” He carries that frustration home, where he tells his mother, “What’s wrong in calling a paagal, paagal?” His mother (played by Dolly Ahluwalia) quickly and cleverly teases him: “Thingu ko thingu mat bolo” (Don’t call a short guy shorty). “What do you mean?” the son replies.

Only when we ourselves are the subject of mockery do we begin to understand the pain that others feel—especially when someone casually uses the word paagal (mad) to describe an intellectually disabled person.

There is more learning when Gurpal Singh reminds Gulshan that everyone has their own version of normal. From the dialogues to the visuals—like Gulshan recoiling when hugged by a player—there’s plenty of powerful messaging that serves as an eye-opener for society. The most compelling aspect of the trailer is that more than Gulshan coaching these special players, it is the coach himself who ends up learning life lessons from them. And that appears to be the true spirit of the film. A particularly striking moment comes when a determined woman firmly tells the coach, “We’re not here to insult anyone, but to win the match,” reinforcing the film’s core message with quiet strength.

Sitaare Zameen Par is about the coach, his special team—but we also expect Genelia Deshmukh to find her voice in this R.S. Prasanna directorial. If you are a sensitive soul, how can you not appreciate the Sitaare Zameen Par trailer? This one goes beyond the box office or stars.

As for the Boycott Bollywood brigade—yes, it’s a democracy, and you have every right to your views. But we humbly remind you that Sitaare Zameen Par is not about Aamir Khan; it is about our intellectually disabled population. Khan and Prasanna have picked genuine special talents. Are you really that cold-hearted to show disrespect to them?

Lastly, by constantly criticising Khan, you only end up strengthening the vile forces from across the border—those who want Indian society to remain divided along ethnic and religious lines. We don’t know about you, but this humble writer can’t wait for Sitaare Zameen Par. The film is set to release in theatres on 20 June.

Watch the trailer below.