âIs Aamir Khan all hype? Is he a media created myth? Why is he so approachable and humble when you meet him, when you expect him to be arrogant? You could talk to him with just your eyes? That''s exactly what I did after watching TZP,â writes maverick writer-filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in his blog on passionforcinema.com. âI never thought Aamir the filmmaker would be as brilliant as Aamir the choicemaker,â Kashyap adds. Well, the verdict is out, Aamir Khan''s labour of colossal love Taare Zameen Par has crossed the hiccups of the first weekend and is on its way to being a masterpiece that''s being steadily lapped up by the ticket buying masses and the harshest of critics. In other words, the dreamy fishes of Ishaan''s imagination are swimming merrily in comfy waters of appreciation.
âThe best response one of my team got is from the gatekeeper from one of the theatres. He said - I really need to see the film. What is there in it that everyone is loving it so much,â writes Aamir Khan in his blog on aamirkhan.com that was posted in the wee hours of this morning. The debutante director has reasons to rejoice for he has kept his promise of delivering qualitative cinema without being corrupted by the enticing propositions of multiple hits and obscene-crore film deals.
Everyone is raving about the film and a prominent Newspaper has already adjudged TZP as one of the path-breaking films of the year. But what is most endearing about Khan is his cool confidence in putting his own name second to child superstar Darsheel Safary as the credits roll at the start of the film. One requires a big heart to do that. And then, living up to the Rang De Basanti promise, at no point of time does he try to upstage Darsheel in the second half and is happy playing the heroic supporting part.
In an IndiaFM exclusive interview, a few days back, Aamir had acknowledged that he is eagerly waiting for the audience''s reaction as that''s what matters the most to him. His blog is flooded with a deluge of affirmative responses but there''s a concern amongst few about how well the film will fare at the Box Office, considering it''s far from being a typical Bollywood masala flick. Aamir comforts his fans by stating in his blog, âSome of you have expressed a fear of the opening not being good enough. Please relax. The opening is much higher that I expected. Let me quickly put your fears and anxieties to rest by sharing with you a text that I received today from the distribution team of PVR:
- Good evening Khan Saab, film is headed to be the BIGGEST GROSSERS of the year.â
While the encomiums are pouring in from all quarters, there''s one man who is happy yet sad. Amole Gupte, the writer and creative director of TZP he was the original director is jubilant at watching the vociferous response to the painstaking research done by him and his wife Deepa Bhatia also the editor of the film over a period of many years. Yes, there''s a tinge of sadness as well. In a post on passionforcinema.com âCinema the cannibalâ¦it consumes youâ, Gupte writes, âA lot of people are curious about what happened between Aamir and me. It doesn''t seem relevant at this point. All I want to say is that no parent who gives up her/his baby by choice. No parent. And I never abandoned my baby. I lost my right to call it my own, that''s all. I was onboard on shoot and I ensured the safety and well-being of my baby. Moreover, Aamir told me that in 17 years as an actor, no one had guided him in his performance as I had. That is a huge compliment from such a powerful brand.â
He further writes, âBy agreeing to play the part of Nikumbh Sir the name I have given Aamir''s character is the name of my art teacher and Hansraj Morarji Public School Principal, Late Shri R. S. Nikumbh, a tribute to my dear departed teacher, Aamir has done children a great service. It would not have been possible without him to take this message out to the nation. It is unfortunate that it turned out the way it did between us.â
Here it must be said that Aamir Khan has always acknowledged Amole Gupte''s immense contribution in the making of Taare Zameen Par in all his media interactions. One of the journalists at the press show of TZP made a pertinent remark that if Amole had directed the film, it would have ended up being a documentary for it takes the farsightedness of a practical filmmaker like Khan to tell a touching story honestly without making it boring or preachy at any point.
Well, that''s a subject of debate that will surely stay in the media for some time as to what would have happened if Amole Gupte had directed Taare Zameen Par. But that''s a subject of speculation. We would just like to quote one of the dialogues from the film: Patri se hat ke bahut kam log soch paate hain very few people can think differently from the usual norm. And for doing that, one would like to congratulate the entire team of Taare Zameen Par. This film is truly Special.