CHAPTER- 5

AAMIR KHAN’S CINEMA AND SOCIAL ISSUES

5. Introduction:

Indian Cinema has had a long and illustrious run, even more

than a century. In this century-long journey of twists and

turns, there have been a few actors who have really made a

lasting impact on the Indian society as a whole – one of them

is Aamir Khan. After an initial start as the quintessential

loverboy, Aamir Khan took measures to make movies having a

social bearing as well. In this last decade of Indian Cinema‘s

century, Aamir Khan has left an indelible mark on the pages of

Indian Cinematic history. A lot of Aamir Khan‘s movies have

significant social and societal undertones; they revolve around

social issues and show the face of contemporary Indian

society.

For the purpose of this research, three movies have been

chosen to demonstrate the qualitative correlation (not the

research technique) between Aamir Khan‘s movies and their

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 social impacts. These three movies are of three different

genres and they cover almost all of the different sections of the

society, which is what merits their selection. The three movies

taken for the aforementioned purpose are – Lagaan, 3 Idiots

and Taare Zameen Par.

5.1 Lagaan

“Hamaar pasina hamre tann mein khoon ban ke daudega”

- Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India

Story of Lagaan

Lagaan is a story of self-esteem, determination, teamwork and

more importantly, belief in oneself – the movie demonstrates

the belied that when one is prepared to face and fight against

all odds with total conviction, nothing is impossible.

Lagaan is set in the Victorian period of India‘s colonial British

Raj. The story revolves around a small village Champaner

where the villagers lived under the oppressive rule of the

―tribute‖ system in the British Raj, where their king was but a

dummy and exercised no real power at all and they had to pay

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high taxes. When the villagers findthemselves in a very

difficult situation, an arrogant British officer challenges them

to a game of cricket as a wager to avoid the taxes.

Under the ―tribute‖ system, the king had to pay a certain

portion of his earnings to the Britishers for protection of

sovereignty. In order to maximise the earnings, the kings

usually levied different taxes on agricultural produces. The

scenario was that due to successive years of droughts, the

farmer-villagers of Champaner were barely able to harvest

enough crops for sustenance and therefore, were not able to

pay taxes. Villagerswent to Raja Puram Singh (king of

Champaner territory) to ask fora waiver of the taxes, but

despite his intention to do so, he is unable to help them as he

is also bound by British law. When the villagers went to

officials, they were busy in playing cricket and villagers have

to wait till the end of game. During this period Bhuvan, the

hot-headed youngster of the village (played by Aamir Khan),

mocks the game and gets into a skirmish with one of the

British officers. Taking an instant dislike to Bhuvan, Russell

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offers to waive the taxes for three years if the villagers can beat

his men in a game of cricket. The catch, however, was that if

the villagers lost, however, they would have to pay three times

the amount of their normal taxes. Bhuvan accepts this

challenge on behalf of all the villagers, without their consent.

As can be expected, there is an outrage at Bhuvan‘s reckless

move.

Gradually gathering support from the villager, Bhuvan begins

to prepare the villagers for the match. In his efforts, Elizabeth

(played by Rachel Shelley), the soft-hearted, fair sister of Capt.

Russell joins to support Bhuvan and his band of

rebels.Eventually, as the villagers realise that winning will give

them an unprecedented opportunity to gain freedom, and as a

few of them are insulted by the British, most of them either

join the team or come in its support. Gradually, after a lot of

turbulent moments, Bhuvan succeeds in making a team of his

own to take on the British contingent.

The second half of the film focuses on the match itself, which

is spread over a period of three days. On the first day, Russell

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wins the toss and elects to bat, giving the British officers a

strong start. Bhuvan brings Kachra into the match only to find

that Kachra, the untouchable (played by Aditya Lakhia)has

somehow lost his ability to spin the ball, because new cricket

balls do not spin as well as worn-down ones (like the team had

been practising with). In addition, as part of his agreement

with Russell, Lakha deliberately drops many catches. During

the evening, however, Elizabeth sees Lakha (played by Yashpal

Sharma) meeting with her brother. She races to the village and

informs Bhuvan of Lakha's deception. Rather than allow the

villagers to kill him, Bhuvan offers Lakha the chance to

redeem himself.

The second day of the match was even more dramatic as the

day brought redemption for the Champaner side.At this point,

however, the British have already amassed a huge total, losing

only three wickets by the lunch break. Kachra is brought back

to bowl. Bowling with anold ball, Kachra takes a hat-trick

which sparks the collapse of the British batting side. The

villagers soon start their innings. The British side took

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advantage of the inexperience of the Champaner side with

their brutal bowling and continuous sledging; attempts were

made on each and every player of the home side. The villagers'

team ends the day with 4 batsmen out of action with barely a

third of the required runs on board.

On the third and final day, Bhuvan passes his century, while

most of the later wickets fall. The Champaner side struggled a

lot, but limping (some of the members, quite literally), the

team reached to the ultimate over of the game. With one ball

remaining and the team down 5 runs, Kachra knocks the ball a

short distance, managing only a single. However, the umpire

signals a no-balland Bhuvan returns to bat, and swings

extremely hard at the next ball. Captain Russell backpedals

and catches the ball, gleefully believing that the British team

has won, until he realises that he actually caught the ball

beyond the boundary. The final signal of the umpire was 6

runs, and the win went to Bhuvan's team. Even as they

celebrate the victory, the drought ends as downpour occurs.

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Primarily, the fact is that the film revolves around Bhuvan; the

film is about how Bhuvan, just one of the villagers, accepts a

challenge, how he faced initial opposition to everybody, how

he managed to convince everybody to take up this challenge

and many more things. But at the same time, the film is not

just about him; it is about so many other things as well. It is

about the problems and the hurdles that the whole village

came across, how they solved all problems and eventually won

the fight of pride and honour. It is about how they face the

arduous task of learning a semi-alien game and playing for a

result that would change their village‘s destiny.

Lagaan shows various shades of human life, behaviour and

emotions. It shows an innate sense of empowerment and

shows that in hope lies an individual‘s greatest strength.

Lagaan showed, not just India, but the world that the Hindi

film industry is capable of making a movie with high

production values and a strong script.The film had no special

effects or complex editing, but it had a story of universal

human value. Lagaan shows self-esteem, integrity, unity,

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strength, discipline, fighting spirit, inspiration, love, equality,

determination and a lot many other things. Lagaan shows that

true hope never dies.

The songs of Lagaan are an added dimension to the movie

experience on the whole. The songs are melodious, but more

importantly, they are also about Indian morals and values.

Almost all the songs of the movie are inspiring in a way and

have a great impact on the viewers of all demographic groups.

Lagaan, not just through its songs, but also through the

screenplay, shows the purity of feeling called love.

Lagaan was met with high critical acclaim. Roger Ebert, the

legendary international movie critic, said, ―Lagaan is an

enormously entertaining movie, like nothing we‘ve ever seen

before, and yet completely familiar…. At the same time, it is a

memory of the films we all grew upon, with clearly defined

villains and heroes, a romantic triangle, and even a comic

character who saves the day. Lagaan is a well-crafted, hugely

entertaining epic that has the spice of a foreign culture.‖

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 Sudhish Kamath of THE HINDU suggested, ―The movie is not

just a story. It is an experience. An experience of watching

something that puts life into you, something that puts a cheer

on your face, however depressed you might be.‖1

John Nugent of the Trenton independent, who wrote ―A

masterpiece… and what better way to learn a bit about India‘s

colonial experience. History and great entertainment, all

rolled into one (albeit long) classic film.‖2

Social Issues emerging out of Lagaan

There are several issues that Lagaan as a movie highlights,

which were relevant to both the prevalent social schema of the

country at that point in time and the freedom struggle against

imperial rule. Following are some of the more prominent

ones:

1) National Integrity

Lagaan very dramatically and beautifully shows the unity and

national integrity. The portrayal of the grief-stricken villagers,

asdepicted by the characters who make a team, was what

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 made the movie so special. The movie is one of the perfect

examples whichshow how the devil actually lies in the details.

For instance, the team has a Hindu player Bhuvan, a Muslim

player Ismail, a Sikh player Deva, people from the then lower

classes Lakha, Kachra and Arjan, all coming together to fight

against the British Raj.

2) Injustice

Injustice is intolerable at any cost. People should fight against

injustice in very positive manner. In the words of renowned

American writer Edward Abbey, ―A patriot must always be

ready to defend his country against its government.‖ Lagaan

depicts how Britishers did injustice to people and how people

found the courage within them to take a stand against such

injustice.

3) Untouchability

When team needed one more player, when they were ready to

settle for anyone, it was then that Bhuvan found his teammate

in an untouchable, Kachra, who could bowl spin. The villagers,

conditioned by the traditional prejudice against untouchables,

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refused to play if Kachra joined the team. Bhuvan chastises

the villagers shaming them into accepting Kachra.

It is a well-known fact that there is a multitude of social issues

prevalent in the society. But the important point to note is that

the movie also emphasizes the role of youth in changing the

face of a society.

The Making of Lagaan

The positive impact of Lagaan is pretty well known and has

been described amply earlier as well. But few are privy to show

behind the making of Lagaan. It is fairly obvious that the team

behind Lagaan must have put in a lot of dedication, teamwork,

hardwork and focus.

The entire film was to be shot from start to finish in a single

schedule during which each and member of the unit was living

the world of Lagaan. Every department of this film, be it

music, location, costumes, background music, songs, etc. had

attempted nothing short of perfection to show that characters

are living their own story. Creating an entire village with

people required the help of the local people. Nearly sixty

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actors to play members of the families were selected from

Mumbai and Kutch. However, one of the biggest challenges

was to create facilities for hundreds of people arriving from

Mumbai and far away England. In Bhuj, far away from the

location, Sahajanand Towers was redone to suit the metro

crowd and their lifestyles. Near about sixty rooms were

created, with air conditioners and proper sanitation facilities.

The royal challenge was shooting in the dry environs of Kutch;

the location does not support human habitation. To create a

village existing in times of the British Raj became all the more

difficultin such a place. Every morning before the break of

dawn the entire cast and crew had to assemble in the bus

which would take them to the location. The team together

faced several challenges and bravely overcame them during its

filming.

The film entered the syllabus of IIM Indore as a case study.

Many companies conducted workshops to learn how to handle

human resources. Today Lagaan is a success story on and off

the screen. Aamir's first director Ketan Mehtacommented

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after watching the movie, 'I just saw Lagaan and I think Aamir

has seasoned as an actor and I'd say he has balls of steel as a

producer. I think it's a very courageous venture to invest so

much of himself in—not in terms of money, but I'm sure it

required a certain grave decision and I'm glad it was a

courageous decision rather than a market-driven tame

decision.‖ Amitabh Bachchan exclaimed, ―The film is a piece

of perfection— I've seen it a number of times already and not

because I've done the voiceover but because I've enjoyed it so

much.‖

Primary data findings

The survey, which was conducted in the age group of 18-25,

primarily reveals two things – the message and impact of the

film on the society and the creation of social awareness by the

film.

Message and impact of the film on the society

India is one of the youngest populaces in the world; the youth

of this country has emerged as a strong change driver. They

seek inspiration from a lot of many things; one of them is

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films. Lagaan, having a very strong social backbone, sends a

message to the youth on different notes.

Key message gained through Lagaan

14%
30% Unity

18% Fighting for one's rights

Hardwork
Others

38%

A careful analysis of the data gathered clearly suggests the

most important message that the film sends is that one should

fight for his/her own rights. Many times, a society, or atleast a

section of it, finds itself in a situation where the rights are in

jeopardy. It is at this time that the denizens of the society,

especially the younger ones, must rise and fight for their rights

and that of their fellow countrymen. This is the strongest

message that Lagaan sends. 30% of the respondents also

consider unity as one of the most important messages that

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Lagaan depicts; they are of the belief that without the entire

team functioning as a single, cohesive unit, the victory could

never have been achieved.

Does Lagaan create social awareness?

2%
12%

Yes
No
Neutral

86%

An overwhelming 86% of the sample was of the opinion that

Lagaan creates positive awareness in the society about a lot

issues including the ones mentioned above.

Observations about Lagaan

Lagaan, an iconic film, had a great impact on Indian cinema.

It was a lesson to the film industry that a story which

appeared to be so simple when handled with skill and love

could create magic. This magic touched the very core of the

audience. The fire of the young farmer Bhuvan and his

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 ambition to raise himself and his villagers from the drudgery

of the British was awe-inspiring. His determination in the face

of opposition filled the audience with similar determination to

face their problems and never give up to injustice. The nail-

biting end brings relief to everyone and the hero not only wins

the game but also his lady love.

5.2 3 Idiots

“Bachcha kabil bano, kabil… Kamyabi toh jhak maar ke

peeche aayegi”

- 3 Idiots

Story of 3 Idiots

3 Idiots, simply put, is a story of 3 friends who represent

today‘s youth and how they tackle our education system. In

this movie, Farhan Qureshi (played by R. Madhavan), Raju

Rastogi (played by Sharman Joshi) and Ranchoddas

Chanchad ―Rancho‖ (played by Aamir Khan) are students at

the Imperial College of Engineering, one of the premier

colleges in India. The dean of this college Professor Viru

Sahastrabuddhe a.k.a. Virus (played by Boman Irani) is very

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strict and a follower of orthodox educational system rules.

When new students join the ICE, Virus is shown to call them

and tell them about the fountain pen invented so that people

can write in space. It is here that Rancho makes an entry,

asking Virus that if normal pens didn‘t work in space, why

they didn‘t use a pencil instead.

3 Idiots then shows these 3 students and how they face

problems, how they handle the pressure of marks, exams and

make way towards their dreams. Their story is framed as

intermittent flashbacks from thepresent day, which is ten

years henceforth from their college lives, in which Raju and

Farhan are in search of Rancho. They are joined by Chatur

(played by Omi Vaidya), now a wealthy businessman, looking

to seal a deal with scientist Phunsukh Wangdu. At the house

ascribed to Rancho, they discover another individual (Jaaved

Jaffrey) under that name, whom they blackmail by seizing his

father's ashes and threatening to flush them down a toilet.

Thusthreatened, the householder reveals that their friend was

an orphan servant boy who loved learning, while he himself

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disliked it, therefore the family sent the servant to study in his

master's place, until graduation, where after the master

pockets the qualifications and the benefits thereof, while the

impersonator becomes a schoolteacher in Ladakh.

Raju and Farhan then take Pia (played by Kareena Kapoor) to

Ladakh, where they see inventions resembling those of their

friend. When the latter's friends ask his real name, he

identifies himself as Phunsukh Wangdu, Chatur's prospective

business partner. Upon learning this, Chatur is horrified and

begs Phunsukh to establish the business relationship,

apparently to no effect.

3 Idiots went on to become one of the highest grossers of the

Indian film industry. It is a fun-filled, entertaining film

cocktailed with social messages. For instance, one of the most

important aspects of human life discussed in the film is ―Self-

actualization‖.One of the primary reasons behind 3 Idiots‘

success is that although it widely entertained people, it was

equally provocative, funny and insightful at the same time. All

these factors fascinated the audiences repeatedly to the

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theatres. The film questioned the present education system

which in a misguided effort to enhance the performance of

students was perhaps curtailing their innate intelligence and

common sense. The good part is that while the film raised

several questions, it also provided answers through the

characters in a way which was understandable and appealing

to all classes of the society. The film did not talk about

winning at all costs; instead it gave hope to people that if one

loves to do something, following it would make him/her

happy and therefore, positively lead to success.

One of the most important messages for students was the

pursuit of excellence over success. The film was made with lot

of substance, thus having a strong impact on the viewer.

People can still be found assuring themselves with the phrase

―Aal Izz well‖ (the message was put through a song in the

movie).

Critical reception of 3 Idiots

Subhash K. Jha, renowned film critic and author of The

Essential Guide toBollywood) states, ―It‘s not that 3 Idiots is a

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flawless work of art. But it is vital, inspiring and life-revising

work of contemporary art with some heart imbued into every

part. In a country where students are driven to suicide by their

impossible curriculum, 3 Idiots provides hope. Maybe cinema

can‘t save lives. But cinema, sure as hell can make you feel life

is worth living. 3Idiots does just that, and much more. The

director takes the definition of entertainment into directions

of social comment without assuming that he knows best.‖3

Nikhat Kazmi of theTimes of India suggests, ―The film is a

laugh riot, despite being high on fundas.‖ Mayank Shekhar of

the Hindustan Times comments, ―This is the sort of movie

you‘ll take home with a mile and a song on your

lips.‖4According to Taran Adarsh of Bollywood

Hungama,―3Idiots – it‘s emotional, it‘s entertaining, it‘s

enlightening. The film has tremendous youth appeal and feel-

good factor to work in a big way.‖

Derek Elley of Variety wrote that ―3Idiots takes a while a lay

out its game plan but pays off emotionally in its second half.‖

Robert Abele of Los Angeles Times wrote that there‘s an

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―unavoidable joi de vivre (symbolized by Rancho‘s meditative

mantra ―All is well‖) and a performance charm that make this

one of the more naturally gregarious Bollywood imports.‖

Louis Proyect described it as a ―fabulous achievement across

the board. A typical Bollywood confection but also social

commentary on a dysfunctional engineering school system

that pressures huge numbers of students into suicide.‖5

Primary data findings on 3 Idiots

In consort with the survey conducted, the findings are

indicative of two trends – the message conveyed by the movie

and the creation of social awareness.

Key message delivered by 3 Idiots

14%
30% Pursue what your heart desires

18% Work hard; don't lose hope

Don't take a lot of stress
Others

38%

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Although there was a bevy of messages conveyed through the

film, the maximum importance perceived was that of

persistence. The youth of this country, as depicted by the

sample, is of the opinion that the core message that 3 Idiots

gives is that there will always be failures in the journey

towards success; the important thing is to continue on that

road. Another important stimulus of the movie was that an

individual, especially a student, should pursue something s/he

is passionate about.

Did 3 Idiots create social awareness?

10%2%
Yes
No
Neutral
88%

As far as the creation of social awareness is concerned, 88%

(marginally higher than Lagaan) of the respondents say that 3

Idiots has a positive impact on the social awareness in the

society.
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Observations about 3 Idiots

3 Idiots, a path breaking movie was an eye opener for the

whole education system in India. It questioned the

conservatively established Indian curricula, rising and

flourishing since quite some time. The competition to acquire

a degree rather than knowledge was and is always preferred.

When Rancho chose knowledge over degree, he felt and

believed in his gut that what he did was absolutely right. The

film depicts his belief to have come true when towards the

end, he signs a contract with the dean‘s prized pen. The

question that still remains to be answered is that although

such things are possible in the Western countries, has India as

a country graduated to that level to make such dreams come

true?

5.3 Taare Zameen Par

“Har bachche ki apni khoobi hoti hai, apni kabiliyat hoti hai,

apni chahat hoti hai…”

-Taare Zameen Par

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Story of Taare Zameen Par

The film starts with a scene where Ishaan Nandkishore

Awasthi (played by Darsheel Safary) catches a fish from a local

pond using his socks and capturesit in his waterbottle;

suddenly, the school bus conductor comes and scolds him that

because of his carelessness, the whole bus had to wait for quite

some time. This scene, in a nutshell, is the summation of the

problems that Ishaan faces. The child is not doing anything

wrong; he is an epitome of innocence. However, it also shows

that this small boy has its own world and he is completely

engrossed in it.

The movie is a story about Ishaan Nandkishore Awasthi, an

eight year-old boy who dislikes school and fails every test or

exam. He finds all subjects difficult, and is scolded by his

teachers and parents alike. But Ishaan‘s internal world is rich

with wonders, something which he is unable to convey to

others. The kid had an artist inside in him, waiting to be

unleashed in front of the world. Ishaan‘s father, Nandkishore

Awasthi (played by Vipin Sharma) is a successful executive but

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a strict person who expects his children to excel.

Consequently, he imposes such discipline on both of his

children.Ishaan‘s mother, housewife Maya Awasthi (played by

Tisca Chopra) is frustrated by her inability to educate her son.

Ishaan‘s elder brother, Yohan (played by Sachet Engineer) is

an all-round scholar and Ishaan faces constant comparison

with him.

After receiving a poor academic report, Ishaan‘s parents

decided to send him to a boarding school. He declined to go

but they sent him and tell him that he got punishment. It is

there that Ishaan hit his personal nadir. He sinks into a state

of fear and depression, despite being befriended by Rajan

Damodaran (played by Tanay Chheda), physically disabled

and one of the top students in the class. Ishaan‘s situation

changes when a new teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh (played

by Aamir Khan), joins the school as a temporary instructor.

An instructor at the Tulips school for young children with

developmental disabilities, Nikumbh‘s teaching style is

different from that of the previous strict teachers. He quickly

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observes that Ishaan is unhappy and contributes little to class

activities.On inquiring about Ishaan to his friend Rajan, he

comes to know that Ishaan has some problems but nobody

knows what he actually feels.On reviewing Ishaan‘s classwork,

he concludes that Ishaan‘s academic shortcomings are

indicative of dyslexia.

On his day off, Nikumbh visits Ishaan's parents and asks if he

can see more of their son's work. He is stunned by the

sophistication of one of Ishaan's paintings, and tells his

parents that Ishaan is a bright child who processes

information differently from other children in his class, but

Ishaan's father is suspicious that the explanation is simply an

excuse for his son's poor performance. Nikumbh describes

dyslexia to them and explains that it is not a sign of low

intelligence. He tells them he can provide extra tutoring that

will help Ishaan, highlighting the boy's artistic ability evident

in his many paintings and other creative works. In a particular

class, as the students are leaving the classroom, Nikumbh

reveals to Ishaan that he too experienced the same difficulties

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with dyslexia. Nikumbh then visits the school's principal and

obtains his permission to become Ishaan's tutor. He attempts

to improve Ishaan's reading and writing by using remedial

techniques developed by dyslexia specialists; Ishaan soon

develops an interest in language and mathematics, and his

grades improve.

Towards the end of the movie, in an art fair, there are two

battles which happen – one within Ishaan to finally come out

of the inner prison that he has been in for so long and one

between the world and Ishaan, the kid who doesn‘t exist. In

the end, Ishaan emerges victorious on both fronts, his talent

triumphing over all odds and establishing his prowess in front

of the entire world, but more importantly, in his own eyes. The

film dealt with a critical issue of dyslexia and child education.

This movie shows parents sometimes without understanding

kids punish them in a way that can destroy the child‘s whole

personality. Albeit they want to do it forthe betterment of the

kid, they unknowingly harm their loved ones. Taare Zameen

Par, like an elegant piece of poetry, beautifully presented

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emotions like happiness, fear and loneliness. The songs of

Taare Zameen Par are like flowers in a bouquet, portraying

everybody‘s emotions in a garland of expressive words and

music.

Be it the sentimental and touching song ‗Maa‘, which

conveyed the insecurities of a child when sent away from

home or the title song ‗Taare Zameen Par‘ which took the

audience to a world with unlimited possibilities. ‗Jame Raho‘

was a situational and imaginative track, while ‗Mera Jahan‘

gives a view of the child protagonist‘s naïve world.

The movie shows that how emotions of child should be

handled with lots of warmth, care, love, affection and most

importantly, with understanding so they can blossom.

Critical acclaim of Taare Zameen Par

In the words of the film‘s director Aamir Khan, ―Taare Zameen

Par is a film about children and it is a film which celebrates

the abilities of children… The title has a very positive feel to

it.‖6

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The movie received positive reviews all over. Subhash K. Jha

suggests that the film is ―a work of art, awater painting where

the colors drip into our hearts, which could easily have fallen

into the motions of over-sentimentality.‖7 Rajeev Masand of

CNN-IBN argued that 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.‖8Manish Gajjar from the BBC stated that the film

―touches your heart and moves you deeply with its sterling

performances. [it is] a film full of substance!‖9

Primary data findings for Taare Zameen Par

A movie like Taare Zameen Par was bound to create a positive

feel in the society. The film‘s objective was such that people

recognize how every child is special and how they should be

treated as such.

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 Key message delivered by Taare Zameen Par

Parents should understand

children
12%
30% Role of teachers in grooming
children
Every child has a different
50% 8% personality
Motivate your child

The top message comes out to be that cognizance of a different

personality of every child. This is exactly what was intended

from the movie, thus the subtitle ―every child is special‖. There

is also a suggestion that parents should try and understand

their children better.

Does Taare Zameen Par create social awareness?

0%
1%

Yes
No
Neutral

99%

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As is very apparent from the figure, almost the entire sample

favourably responded to the question of Taare Zameen Par

creating social awareness. This goes to show the kind of

impact that a movie like Taare Zameen Par had.

Observations of Taare Zameen Par

Taare Zameen Par explores the life and imagination of a

dyslexic eight year-old child. The movie was an eye-opener for

all parents who force their children to run in the rat race of

daily life. In doing this the parents tend to forget that each

child has a special ability; Nikumbh becomes pied piper for

the little, depressed and different Ishaan leading him to a

blissful end.

Aamir Khan‘s movies and their social issues

These three movies just give a glimpse of how a Bollywood

icon can impact the society through responsible choice of

films. Although there are several other movies which also

show contemporary social issues like- Rang De Basanti, Peepli

live etc., these three movies cater to a much wider audience in

a more effective manner. Findings related to these three

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movies show that society has gained a lot through these

moviesin terms of social awareness. Another important thing

to note is the evolution of Aamir Khan as a youth icon.

Is Aamir Khan a youth icon through his work?

2%

10%

Yes
No
Neutral

88%

The findings clearly show that Aamir Khan is considered to be

a youth icon, and that too by an overwhelming majority.

Ofcourse, it is not fully possible that his work alone brings a

drastic change in the society but his work has definitely sown

seeds of social improvement. These issues are not just out

there in the open; these issues are talked about in the drawing

room of every house, on the corner of every street and in every

function. Creating an impact here is a challenge and that is

where the credit goes to Aamir Khan.

225
Aamir Khan used his stardom as a medium to give society in

terms of creating awareness about social issues which will be

helpful in making society grow in positive direction. Although

his Journey was not pre-planned. As like normal guy he

started his career to be a successful actor to achieve money,

fame, stability, career but during this journey he evolved

himself as an social philantropher who understands its

responsibility to return back something to society. Because

people of India gave him so much of love, care. Very few

people or we can say filmstars had used their image for

betterment of society. Lagaan, 3 idiots, Tare Zameen Pe. We

wish list will be never ending. We find his movies

speciallywhen we are talking about these 3 movies create a

positive fuel in society. It has great impact on society which

shows in terms of Lagaan is added in management curriculum

in IIM, Tare Zameen Pe through which we came to know

every child is special and how they should be treated in this

technology age emotions must be intact. 3 idiots gives

message there will always be failures in the journey towards

success, the important thing is to continue on that road.

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Another message for individual especially student should

pursue something he/she is passionate about. The finding

shows that Aamir Khan is considered to be a creater of

awareness in society offcourse it is not fully possible that his

work alone brings a drastic change in the society but atleast he

creates awareness towards it.

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 Chapter 5

Aamir Khan’s Cinema

&
Social Issues: A Case Study

Endnotes :
1. Kamath,S. (2007). Scoring sixers with every scene. Thehindu.com.
Retrieved 27 September 2014, from
http://www.thehindu.com/2001/06/29/stories/0929022j.htm
2. John Nugent, The DVD Discount Bin: Lagaan Redux,Trenton
Independent, 1 April 2011, Page B2
3. Jha, S. (2009). Life's worth living with 3 Idiots - The Times of India. The
Times of India. Retrieved 27 September 2014, from
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/new
s-interviews/lifes-worth-living-with-3-idiots/articleshow/5377572.cms
4. Kazmi, N. (2009). 3 Idiots - The Times of India. The Times of India.
Retrieved 27 September 2014, from
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-
review/3-Idiots/movie-review/5373913.cms
5. U2140161.nettech.net.in,.(2009). MOVIE DESCRIPTION. Retrieved 27
September 2014, from http://u2140161.nettech.net.in/pramod-
assignment/pramod-assignment-I/pramod-favorite/movie%20plot.html
6. Indiatoday.intoday.in (2013), Aamir Khan clarifies Taare Zameen Par
row at Agenda Aaj Tak : Agenda Aaj Tak 2013, News - India Today,
Retrieved 16 September 2014, from
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/aamir-khan-clarifies-taare-zameen-
par-row-with-amol-gupte/1/327858.html

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7. Jha, S. (2007). BNS News Items. Bollywoodnewsservice.com. Retrieved
27 September 2014, from
http://www.bollywoodnewsservice.com/subhash_k_jha/archive.php?arti
cle_id=478
8. Masand, R. (2007). Review: Taare Zameen Par may change your
life. IBNLive. Retrieved 27 September 2014, from
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/review-taare-zameen-par-may-change-your-
life/54724-17.html
9. Gajjar, M. (2007). BBC - Shropshire - Bollywood - Taare Zameen
Par. Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2014, from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/films/bollywood/2007/12/taare_zame
en_review.shtml

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