Cinema, Entertainment

‘Sitare Zamin Par’ at IFFM 2025: Aamir Khan’s Melbourne moment

Aamir Khan at the IFFM 2025 media conference, Melbourne, Australia.

Sitaare Zameen Par (2025); Comedy/Drama; 2h 35m: Directed by R.S. Prasanna; Produced by Aamir Khan Productions; IFFM 2025.

Screened at IFFM 2025, Village Cinemas, Crown, Aamir Khan, Bollywood’s “Mr. Perfectionist,” captivated audiences at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2025 as chief guest, unfurling the Indian tricolor, engaging in a masterclass with Rajeev Masand, and fielding questions with wit at the festival’s media conference. His sharp hairstyle and smart-casual style won over the culturally starved diaspora crowd. Seated a row behind him at Federation Square, I noted his pointy mustache and understated elegance. Memories of last year’s chief guest, RRR’s Ram Charan, lingered, but Aamir’s latest film, Sitaare Zameen Par (SZP), stole the spotlight. Screened to a supportive audience, it’s now available on YouTube on-demand, showcasing the global reach of Bollywood’s biggest star.

A spiritual successor to Taare Zameen Par (2007), ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ is a Hindi remake of the 2018 Spanish film Champions. It follows Gulshan, a conceited basketball coach sentenced to community service after a drunk-driving incident. Tasked with training a team of neurodivergent adults for a tournament, he confronts his prejudices and embarks on a transformative journey.

The film breaks ground with Bollywood’s first predominantly neurodivergent cast, delivering authentic representation. Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy’s music, paired with Amitabh Bhattacharya’s lyrics, adds emotional depth. Released theatrically on June 20, 2025, SZP has resisted streaming offers (for now) and earned global box-office success, though reviews are mixed despite Aamir’s signature storytelling.

Empowering and heartfelt, Sitaare Zameen Par offers a refreshing antidote to the violent, tech-driven blockbusters saturating screens. If you crave formulaic, graphic-heavy films with gore and slow-motion bullets, this isn’t for you. As one critic quipped, “If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.” Yet, SZP’s unique narrative and strong message have resonated widely, proving its box-office draw isn’t it’s only strength. Aamir’s films carry weight, stirring millions despite occasional missteps.

At 2 hours and 35 minutes, the film feels slightly overlong—shaving 15–20 minutes could tighten its pace. Still, Aamir delivers a composed performance, Sunita Aurora holds her own, and the neurodivergent cast shines brilliantly. The narrative is heartwarming, though some find it overly sentimental. Emotions, however, are subjective, and in SZP, they’re complex and context-driven, making the film deeply human.

Aamir’s IFFM 2025 presence and Sitaare Zameen Par’s screening were unforgettable. This film, a gift from Aamir and Prasanna, champions inclusion with a message that lingers. The ‘Excellence In Cinema’ award at the IFFM 2025 to him, no doubt, was well deserved.

*Sitaare Zameen Par (2025) credits include:

Director: R.S. Prasanna

Writer: Divy Nidhi Sharma

Producers: Aamir Khan, Aparna Purohit (also listed on official music release), with Aamir Khan starring and producing.

Cast:

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Aamir Khan as Gulshan Aurora
Genelia Deshmukh as Sunita Aurora
Aroush Datta as Satbir
Vedant Sharma as Bantu
Naman Mishra as Hargovind
Rishi Shahani as Sharmaji
Rishabh Jain as Raju
Ashish Pendse as Sunil
Samvit Desai as Kareem
Simran Mangeshkar as Golu
Ayush Bhansali as Lotus
Dolly Ahluwalia as Preeto Aurora
Gurpal Singh as Kartar Paaji
Brijendra Kala as Daulat ji
Deepraj Rana as Paswan Ji
Jagbir Rathee as Karim’s Boss
Shyam Mashalkar as Rustom
Additional supporting and guest roles.

Music:

Songs composed, arranged, and produced by: Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy (Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa).
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya.
Background score: Ram Sampath.

Key Playback Singers:

Shankar Mahadevan, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Arijit Singh, Shariva Parulkar, Siddharth Mahadevan, Divya Kumar.

Cinematography: Srinivas Reddy.

Editor: Charu Shree Roy.

Notable Crew:

Production Design: Shashank Tere, Akash Agrawal
Art Direction: Pallavi Bagga
Costume Design: Sheetal Sharma
Key technical, art, and music teams as per Zee Music Company and IMDb full credits.

Soundtrack Details:

4 songs, with a “celebratory” and upbeat tone different from the more emotional predecessor Taare Zameen Par.

This film is produced by Aamir Khan Productions and is a spiritual sequel to Taare Zameen Par (2007), adapting the Spanish film Champions (2018).

By Neeraj Nanda

18 August 2025

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