Like Stars on Earth
2007 · Directed by Aamir Khan
Original language: Hindi
- drama
The story
Ishaan Awasthi is an eight-year-old whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate. Colours, fish, dogs, and kites don't seem important to the adults, who are much more interested in things like homework, marks, and neatness. Ishaan cannot seem to get anything right in class; he is then sent to boarding school, where his life changes forever.
What it’s like
Warm, saturated Indian colour carries most of this film: the opening stretches of Ishaan's world are full of kites, goldfish, painted walls and monsoon-green streets, filmed with a handheld, eye-level closeness that stays with a small boy's gaze. The palette shifts toward cooler, greyer institutional tones once he reaches the boarding school, where the camera settles into more composed, symmetrical frames of dormitories, classrooms and corridors. The score is melodic and string-led, with bright, playful motifs for his imagination and quieter piano for the moments of loneliness. Its vibe is tender and wistful, with a bittersweet edge that keeps it from ever feeling saccharine. Pacing is unhurried and episodic, following a neglected, misunderstood child slowly finding a teacher who sees him, and the emotional register builds from sadness toward joy and hope. Intensity is low: a few scenes of bullying and a parent's harshness, some tears, no violence beyond schoolyard scuffles and no sexual content. It suits a rainy weekend, a family watch, or a comfort rewatch, and it is for people who want an emotional, child-centred story about being seen.
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