Tara Zameen Par

Have been watching too many movies since I got the Cineworld unlimited card. Though occasionally a few Bollywood movies are screened in Edinburgh’s Cineworld, not all movies released overseas are screened here, unlike in places like Glasgow and London where there is a larger presence of Asian community. Two weeks before, Taare Zameen Par is released in Glasgow, thought of going three to watch the movie but for various reasons couldn’t go. Finally decided to watch the movie on net but luckily harsh found that it’s going to be screened in Edinburgh as well this weekend. So finally watched the Amir Khan’s debut directorial performance on big screen. I had fairly good expectations on the movies as it is directed by Amir khan and also being a kid’s movie should be full of fun. But interestingly the movie gives a more meaningful message to adults than to the kids. Though I am not a film critic, I should say Amir Khan has done a subperb job and it would be coming year’s Oscar nomination from India. Darsheel Safary has done an excellent job as the protagonist of the movie and he deserves the best actor award. No wonder if Amir Khan also gets a nomination for best supporting actor for this movie.

The movie touched me from completely two different angles. I could relate many of the scenes in the movie to my child hood and got nostalgic with character Ishaan Nadakishore Awasthi on the other hand I could also relate myself very close to the Ishaan’s Parents characteristics. Well I believe most of those who watched movie might have related themselves either to Ishaan or their parents ( there might be a very few who might have related themselves to Nikhumb’s character as well) but not many could have felt both especially in my age group and bachelors.

Though I have never suffered from dyslexia my handwriting was appallingly illegible. I am not sure if it can be called some other disease, but very few can understand my writing with least effort. My English hand writing is far better than my telugu writing. I have done my primary education in my native language. I wonder how did I was a topper always till 5^th standard. Both of my parents are also teaching in the same school where I was studying. This must have prompted all my class teachers to put an extra effort to understand my writing and evaluate the papers. Else probably I would have also been seen as a dumbo.

My parents have decided to send me to boarding school from 6^th standard onwards, this is not because they want me to be disciplined but because they believed that I will get a better education than what I would have got if I stayed in my small home town Palasa. The school where my parents want me to send is not a normal boarding school where one can pay hefty amount of fees and get a seat. It is a government run boarding school with limited number of seats. The school is a brain child of Rajiv Gandhi to provide better education to talented children from poor families across the country. There will be only one school per district with a total intake of 80 a year and only into 6^th class. The school is Jawahar Navodaya Vidyala. It reserves 80% of the seats for rural people and 20% of the seats for urban people. To go into detail it will take a few more blogs….so I am leaving the school details here it self.

On the day of joining I must be the loudest boy crying..well every one must have cried along with me from the lot of 80 but I am inconsolable as I am too close to my mother than many there. As I was always in school of my parents I am a privileged kid and kids around me can not misbehave or dare to bully me. But here things are different there is none to protect me. Probably I saw law of equality first time in my life.

For first two years the medium of education is telugu. In 8^th standard it is a mix of both with an option to choose. From 9^th standard onwards it is strictly English. First two years my grades were too appalling. I was in the verge of flunking 7^th standard. The reasons must be home sickness, trouble in adapting to new atmosphere and illegible writing. But those five years of my life are probably the time I enjoyed most. The school is located in agency area far from any village by atleast 2 Km, surrounded by mountains and forest. Every Sunday along with my friends I used to disappear into the woods and enjoy spring water and wild mangoes and cashew fruits. I used to pretend sickness to avoid morning PET classes. Used to faint falsely during Monday’s assembly meeting to avoid the long standing lecture of principal.

But soon the things have started changing; it is not because Nikhumb kind of a person came into my life. But I have started getting adopted and luckily medium also has changed from telugu to English. As it is the only school in district with CBSE board those who top in their 10^th and 12^th grade will become automatically district toppers. And district toppers will find place in the news of district paper. My mom had kinda given an ultimatum that I should find a place in the news paper. The story has a happy ending. I have shared 3^rd place with another boy in 10^th standard and my name came in paper, my mom is happy.

From an adult’s point of view of the movie, I behaved more or less like the parents of Ishaan. My sister’s kids are very close to me. My niece and nephew are very normal kids, more interested in playing than in studies. When ever I am at home I usually get angered by the way they study and do homework rather than understanding the reason behind it. My nephew is left handed, when he started writing he used to write with left hand. With all force we (including me) ensured that he always uses right hand when he eats food and writes. Now I feel what I have achieved by doing this is nothing but succumbing to a superstition that ‘right hand is sacred than left hand and right hand should be used for doing important things’.

Definitely the movie is an eye opener to me. When I am back at home I will spend at least 2 days with my nephew and niece and try to understand their problem. Will give an honest effort to understand what’s their interest are. I would also explain my sister and bro-in-law that they don’t need to expect their kids to top their class to live a decent life when they grow up. After all there are too many companies which are just hunting for graduates with a reasonable aptitude and reasoning skills.

There is a thin line between mischief and fun, parents should clearly identify this. Parents should understand and respect their children's interest and should not force their ambitions on their children. At the same time in the name of giving freedom to their kids parents should not spoil them. Discipline is a must but that should not be the only thing in child's life.