2h 42m
2007
Amir Khan
Amole Gupte
9/10
This movie is a brilliant piece of art and a must-watch. It dives into the world seen through the lens of a dyslexic child. This film brings out all of your emotions as you see the hard times that Ishaan goes through as the society around him is not willing to accept his difficulties and help him persevere through them. Darsheel Safary brings Ishaan to life and adds a layer of realism to the character, adding to the story’s immersion. Amir Khan’s brilliant directing not only shows how harsh Indian society can be to children suffering from learning difficulties but also how we as a culture can improve together by showing love to one another. Bollywood needs to make more movies like this that emphasise characters and develop them with time throughout the movie. The family dynamic is also great and feels very real and personal, you can feel the genuine love that they feel towards each other even when they are fighting. You can’t help but emphasise the father when he is punishing Ishaan as you can understand his motivations and his fear which all stem from the brilliant writing in this film. All the mini-arcs of the teachers also leave a satisfying ending there is no single antagonist in this film, rather the antagonist is the cultural norms that refuse to see and accept children that do not excel in traditional academia. Overall, I think this film is great in helping us understand the trials and tribulations experienced by children with learning disabilities and I think it is worth taking out the time to watch this movie.
Acting 10/10
Cinematography 9/10
Plot 10/10
Immersion 9/10
Score 8/10
Payoff 10/10