Tare Zameen Par

On popular demand(ahem ahem) from my one and only reader here goes my thoughts on the film:



Before I start the review I should give you a background on a fight me and my husband had in Port Blair. It was about education of a child. I am of the opinion that not all kids can like science maths et al and be good at them. The child grows up best when let to do what he or she likes the most. And as future parents it is our duty to find out what the kid is best in and make him do that. Or help him find alternatives. He was of the opinion that no kid is intelligent/unintelligent. And it is all pure hardwork. When concepts are reinforced they stay longer. We do need to make choices for them atleast in the beginning.
I would agree to the fact that parents also need to make some choices on the child's behalf. If my parents hadnt pushed me the little they did, I wldnt have landed up as an engineer. Which I enjoy being.

Both of us were right in our own way. I had opportunities of interacting with not so "brilliant" kids. (*brilliant here means not good at science and math) whereas he hasnt. Needless to say, both of us were vehemently stuck to our own views. I wished there was a more "closer to life" experience to show him that every kid is special and we just need to deal with them differently.

My prayers were answered with TPZ. Really, it was a god sent message to our family


We were given 31Dec off, just because I didnt wanna stay home and wanted to do something on new-yrs eve so I coaxed my husband into seeing a movie. My "learned" husband wanted to see om-shanti-om vis-a-vis TZP :) but I am glad that a friend from work gave me a dvd rip of OSO and we landed at TPZ.

The movie starts with the little boy's misdemeanors. Funny I would say the way he picks fleas off a dog and uses his water bottle in the drain to catch fish. Real nice touch.

I felt so sorry when the kid pleads with his father not to go out of the house because of him. Unable to tolerate the pressure from school, his parents put him to a boarding school. Huge mistake, without understanding what his real problem is, hoping that their son would change. The child is very close to his mom and seeks solace from her most of the time. When she also agrees to send him to boarding school he feels let down. The song which follows, tears ones heart apart.

His creativity, his childhood are all killed. He becomes unnaturally silent. Corporal punishment pushes him to that. Not all schools believe in corporal punishments, I am so glad I am from PSBB which is dead against hitting children. I hope I can put my kids there. Great school.

By interval the director makes all of us pray that Amir Khan will materialise from somewhere and help the kid. Sure he does, but not in any heroic way. He makes sure that the change is slow and logical. Since we are so used to heroic saves and unreal endings we expect the kid to turn a new leaf and is an IIT topper! no sucha thing is shown. Thank god for that!

There can be many "logical" questions from the old timers. What becomes of a kid when he is into painting? What is the "faida/labham" out of pottery? It is for us parents to send the kids into the best profession. Identify the most lucrative of the creative arts. Fine arts guys mint money with all the landscaping. Cant painters turn architects? huge money! We need to shell out more money and put them in the right courses. Whats the big deal? we can afford it! Non routine jobs do pay well! in fact better.. :)

Message from the film.. dyslexia can be solved and also any other problem that any kid has. Dont kill his childhood for that!