POPCORN REVIEWSS

Written by Divy Nidhi Sharma and an official adaptation of the Spanish film Champions (2018), one thing to note about Sitaare Zameen Par is its tone that remains deliberately frivolous to begin with. Even when the camera follows Gulshan on the streets of Delhi, there is a carefree vibe that remains an extension of the protagonist and his psyche, of often not willing to accept his mistake or seek a different perspective in humans around him. Hence in the scene, you see him arguing with a cop only to be stamped with a case on him.

He even extends his losing streak (of losing an argument) to the courtroom, even when you see his unsuccessfully arguing about the linguistic representation of intellectually-disabled kids. In the scene you see Gulshan referring to them as ‘Paagal’ (retarded; much like what most ‘normal’ adults would do too), much to the dismay of the judge who further imposes a fine and months of community service with intellectually-disabled kids. His punishment remains simple – teach the kids basketball while carrying out his duty as a coach, a job that sees him temporarily suspended from national duty!

The drama here can be viewed as a sports drama given how the writing includes a group of misfits in the fray. But unlike the characters of Chak De India (2007) who did not get along initially, here you see the bunch of characters that have gelled well but typically oddballs to the sport of basketball while suffering from some disability or the other, that doesn’t make them ‘normal’ in the eyes of Gulshan. Hence, you see the frivolous streak continue even as Gulshan starts his tenure of coaching through a montage of sequences – making the kids run, aim, slam and dunk, but rather unsuccessfully. But seldom does he know that he is at the receiving end of an imaginary coaching, that will slowly add purpose in his life while resolving much of its mess. Here I must add that not all of the humour lands perfectly, but you do sense that the writing has its heart in the right place, something that forces you to smile through and through.

The proceedings are heartwarming particularly when you are faintly acquainted with the kids – one who works at the restaurant, another who doesn’t bath but loves rescuing pets, and a couple more who carry out duties of a mechanic at a garage, and at a dye factory respectively. But what this passage essentially does is allow a perspective to creep in for Gulshan, who slowly begins to warmup to his kids along the way. The events are predictable but presented with so much love that it becomes that much easier to look past some of its flaws. For Gulshan typically, the character arc remains inverse to Ram Kumar Nikumb from Taare Zameen Par (2007) – he remains a teacher to the special kids, but in reality, the kids play a major role in curing much of his rigid ideals and dynamics between characters around him.

All throughout the drama, you witness the trajectory of the tone of the drama shift from something frivolous to something more purposeful and heartwarming. This directly coincides with Gulshan’s character arc who undergoes visible changes along the way. In a scene, you see Gulshan taking up a stand for his kids against a bus full of people who remain annoyed and distant to the idea of ‘normalcy’ presented to them. In another, you see him encouraging a character to overcome his fear of water, while in turn also overcoming his fear of standing in lifts, in a separate scene. His equations with his marginally estranged wife is a thing of the past, even as he uses her to snitch a deal for the benefit of his kids. Or even his mother with whom he suddenly showcases bouts of affection (much like she had during his childhood days, in his basketball stints). And more importantly, he begins a bond with the kids that remains immensely firm, even as the team steamrolls every opponent in the game of basketball (ofcourse, with a dash of humour along the way).

There is an underlying theme of inclusivity that is explored at various instances in the drama. In a scene when Gulshan tells his team to ‘humiliate’ their opponents, a character replies on how they are here to ‘win’ and not ‘humiliate’ anyone. Even with the representation of intellectually-disabled characters, therein lies a small but important representation of a sassy female character in the midst, that adds to the inclusivity of the drama.

This theme of inclusivity is best explored in a heartwarming and emotionally-charged final act that completely erases the concept of a loss and a win, while collectively celebrating togetherness and universal brotherhood as viewed through the gaze of the kids who are always so cheerful. Probably, life had already taught them alot, probably, it was their way of keeping their houses ‘young’ (and not aging) through their smaller contributions of mischief and innocence. Perhaps, it was their way of teaching Gulshan on how to celebrate every single moment in life. If not for that brief monologue that cut the impact of the scene, the finale was perfect while imparting a beautiful message of inclusivity, even as the drama ended on a practical note in a two-step finale. But the bittersweet exchanges and celebrations remained constant, thereby summing up the screenplay that is penned with just so much love, that didn’t want me to point out its flaws.