'Sitaare Zameen Par' Review: A warm-hearted tearjerker that scores high on emotion & empathy

Sitaare Zameen Par

In theaters

Cast: Aamir Khan, Genelia Deshmukh, Gurpal Singh & more

Directed by: R.S. Prasanna

Rating - **** (4/5)

Aamir Khan returns to the big screen after a three-year hiatus, and with Sitaare Zameen Par, he makes sure the wait was worth it. Directed by R.S. Prasanna, this Hindi-language sports comedy-drama is a spiritual successor to the 2007 classic Taare Zameen Par, not just in spirit, but also in soul. The 2025 film, which is an official remake of the 2018 Spanish film Champions, blends humour, heart, and healing in a way that makes it both entertaining and meaningful.

The story revolves around Gulshan (Aamir Khan), a once-celebrated basketball coach whose anger issues, emotional baggage, and strained relationships have rendered his personal and professional life unstable. After a major outburst, he is suspended from his position and sentenced to community service. His task? Coaching a basketball team composed of young individuals with Down syndrome. What begins as a reluctant punishment soon turns into a transformational journey, not just for the team, but for Gulshan himself.

At the heart of Sitaare Zameen Par are the ‘stars’ played by Aroush Datta (Satbir), Gopi Krishnan Varma (Guddu), Samvit Desai (Kareem Qureshi), Vedant Sharmaa (Bantu), Aayush Bhansali (Lotus), Ashish Pendse (Sunil Gupta), Rishi Shahani (Sharmaji), Rishabh Jain (Raju), Naman Misra (Hargovind), and Simran Mangeshkar (Golu Khan). These actors, portraying characters with varying abilities and personalities, are the film’s beating heart. Each one is memorable, and their presence on screen brings a genuine warmth and humanity that is both refreshing and rare in mainstream Indian cinema. Their stories, some subtle, others loud, add emotional depth and often leave you laughing through tears.

The story wraps you in a hug and how

Director R.S. Prasanna packages the screenplay with a balanced mix of emotion and humour. The film runs over two and a half hours, but rarely feels stretched. The pacing is engaging, with every scene contributing either a chuckle or a tug at your heart. The humour is genuinely funny, some punchlines land so well you’ll find yourself clapping, and the emotional beats are tender, never manipulative. The screenplay is peppered with small but significant moments that reveal the nuances of each character. Even as the focus stays on Gulshan’s evolution, the film takes care to give the kids their due space and dignity, highlighting their individual stories and strengths.

Among the subplots, Kareem Qureshi’s arc (played by Samvit Desai) could’ve been more fleshed out. His character, juggling long work hours at a hotel and team practice, finds a moment of resolution in the latter half, but the earlier portions feel slightly underexplored. Similarly, the romantic track between Gulshan and Sangeeta is underplayed, it gains some emotional weight in the second half but lacks complexity. Genelia Deshmukh brings a breezy presence to the film, but her character could have used more layers and narrative purpose.

Nuances that matter

The narrative is simple and effective. Gulshan begins his journey with arrogance and detachment, calling the kids ‘mental’ and ‘paagal’. But as he spends time with them, understanding their struggles and witnessing their resilience, something begins to shift. He reconnects with his own vulnerabilities and slowly mends fractured ties with his wife Sangeeta (Genelia Deshmukh), his estranged mother, and most importantly, himself. It’s a story of redemption, told not with lectures but through life lived and lessons learned.

Performances that touch your soul

Performance-wise, the ensemble cast is the film’s biggest win. Each actor playing the team members delivers performances full of charm, innocence, and authenticity. They make you laugh, cry, cheer, and feel—sometimes all at once. Aamir Khan, as Gulshan, is in fine form. He brings vulnerability, arrogance, frustration, and empathy to the role with conviction. However, there are moments when his performance feels like it slips into a familiar template—the exaggerated reactions and speech patterns reminiscent of his past roles in PK or 3 Idiots. It’s not jarring, but noticeable.

That said, Aamir’s chemistry with the kids is undeniable. His scenes with them—whether on the basketball court or off it—form the emotional crux of the film. His transformation is believable because it is gradual, and because it is tied closely to the relationships he builds along the way.

The Verdict

The film’s biggest strength lies in how it normalises disability without pity. It doesn’t try to turn the characters into "inspirations" or glorify them in a preachy way. Instead, it invites the audience to see them simply as individuals with their own personalities, dreams, and quirks. Prasanna manages to avoid melodrama, choosing instead to root the story in realism and restraint. The result is a film that offers empathy over sympathy, laughter over lament, and inclusion over tokenism.

Sitaare Zameen Par is not just a comeback for Aamir Khan, it’s a return to storytelling that makes you feel things. It delivers a message without shouting it. It talks about empathy, acceptance, and inner healing, but through laughter, tears, and love.

It gently reminds you that “everyone has their own normal” and “every normal is different.” The film doesn’t try to change the world, but it does leave a mark on your heart.

This isn’t just a film you watch. It’s one you experience. It’s a reminder of why we go to the movies—to be moved, to be seen, and to feel hope.