2007 · Film
Taare Zameen Par
Aamir Khan's directorial debut about an artistically gifted eight-year-old who struggles at school and the art teacher who takes an interest in him.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sat, 24 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 24 October 2026, Taare Zameen Par is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
The story
Eight-year-old Ishaan Awasthi lives in Mumbai with his parents and his high-achieving elder brother, Yohaan. He loves painting and daydreaming but struggles with reading, writing and arithmetic, and his teachers and father see only laziness and bad behaviour. After he fails yet again, his father sends him to a strict boarding school, where Ishaan grows lonely and withdrawn. Then a cheerful new temporary art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, arrives and begins to notice what everyone else has missed.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
Parents, teachers and children aged around eight and up are the natural audience for this gentle drama about learning differences and how adults treat children who struggle. Be aware of the 164-minute runtime and scenes of harsh teachers, a child's loneliness and a moment where he considers suicide.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Taare Zameen Par was Aamir Khan's first film as a director; he also produced it under Aamir Khan Productions. Amole Gupte wrote it, developing the idea with his wife Deepa Bhatia, who edited the film. It was made to raise awareness of dyslexia in children, and parts were shot at New Era High School in Panchgani with some of its students.
The film opened in India on 21 December 2007 and grossed about ₹98.48 crore worldwide, according to the Bollywood Hungama figure Wikipedia cites. Tamil and Telugu dubs were scheduled for September 2008, and Disney later released it on DVD abroad as Like Stars on Earth. It won five Filmfare Awards, including Best Film and Best Director, and three National Film Awards, including Best Film on Family Welfare. It was India's official entry for the 81st Academy Awards but was not nominated. Sitaare Zameen Par (2025) is described as its spiritual successor.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Family drama, Coming-of-age
- Runtime
- 164 min
- Director
- Aamir Khan
- Cast
- Darsheel Safary, Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma, Tanay Chheda
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Taare Zameen Par in India?
- As of 24 October 2026, Taare Zameen Par is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
- Is Taare Zameen Par in Hindi?
- Yes. Taare Zameen Par is a Hindi-language film.
- How long is Taare Zameen Par?
- Taare Zameen Par runs for 2 hours 44 minutes (164 minutes).