Every Child Is Special is probably my first Bollywood movie. (I do not count Slumdog Millionaire because I have watched it only in parts and have not even gotten to the ending, haha.) Anyway, Every Child Is Special is a Hindi drama film released in 2007 (Taare Zameen Par, translation: Stars On Earth) produced and directed by Aamir Khan. It tells about a boy, Ishaan Awasthi, who was always getting in trouble at school for being so misbehaving and out of focus from his lessons. Too often, he would be caught by his teacher daydreaming and getting low grades. Because of this, his father sent him to boarding school, all alone and homesick with the hope of disciplining him. But the academic status of Ishaan did still not improve. Instead, he became withdrawn and lonely, far from the Ishaan who was active and fun-loving. Then came a new art teacher who would just change the way Ishaan would act towards school and learn to appreciate himself even more.

How can I not love this movie? Darsheel Safary is perfect for the role of Ishaan Awasthi. Safary, with his innocent eyes and face, made me laugh with his funny antics and at the same time rend my heart as he goes through the agony of enduring boarding school alone and away from his parents. From start to finish, the movie gripped my attention, and the musical portions added to my fascination. I cannot speak about the technical aspects of film-making as I am not knowledgeable of such, but for an easy to please movie fan like me, Every Child Is Special is one heart-touching movie.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Every Child Is Special is an eye opener as to the worth and significance of every child. The story deals with an issue that is as real as it is unrecognized – dyslexia. I first knew about dyslexia in the book, Pearl Harbor by Randall Wallace, but the movie has increased my education on this kind of ailment.

Every Child Is Special is a movie that can tug the heartstrings and at the same time bring hope that having dyslexia is not a desperate situation. Family support, patience, and love are central themes in this story, plus the primary focus on painting and art. The theory on multiple intelligences in education plays a major role in this movie and can be very informative to teachers and parents alike.

I really love this movie and I highly recommend this to everyone. My sister has also been nagging me to watch The Three Idiots. Maybe, tonight.

5 stars.