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Hindustan Times

Sitaare Zameen Par: Will Aamir Khan's new film rewrite the script for the neurodivergent?

Rishabh Jain is in his late 20s. He loves baking cookies, enjoys spreading laughter through comedy, and most of all, he is passionate about acting. Ever since he was 7 years old, Rishabh has been the "family entertainer" at his home and dreamt of seeing himself on the big screen. His dream is finally coming true. Rishabh, who has been braving the lesser-known Fragile X Syndrome, is one of the 10 neurodivergent individuals who are making their Bollywood debut with Aamir Khan's upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par. Disability rights advocates hope that this casting of authentic people dealing with Autism, Down's Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome in a mainstream Hindi movie, challenges long-standing stigmas, redefines talent, and opens doors to inclusion and empathy among the country's neurotypical population. "10 faces - neurodivergent individuals play themselves redefining representation in mainstream Indian cinema. After years of stories being told about them, it's finally time for stories told with them... We hope with warmth, laughter and tender moments, this story will remind us that every mind has its own way of dreaming and shining," reads a celebratory post by the India Autism Center. Neurodivergence refers to a set of neurological conditions which make the individuals' brain function differently from what is considered 'normal' or typical. Some of these conditions include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Tourette Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder, Dyslexia, Down's Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder among more. These can affect cognitive, behavioural, responsive and perceptive powers of an individual, impacting how they engage physically, mentally and socially. India has an estimated neurodivergent population of over 2 million. According to a Nasscomm Community whitepaper, 39 percent of 18–24-year-olds in the Indian workforce self-identify as neurodivergent. This explains the need for greater representation, inclusion and acceptance for this community at all levels. When it comes to neurodivergence in Indian cinema, few films have delved into intellectual disability. Anjali (1990), Main Aisa Hi Hoon (2005), Yuvraaj (2008), My Name Is Khan (2010), Barfi (2012), Hichki (2018) and Jalsa (2022) are some examples. Tanvi The Great, Anupam Kher's upcoming directorial which has recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2025, also touches upon autism. Sitaare Zameen Par is being touted as the spiritual sequel to Aamir's Taare Zameen Par (2017), which gave the audience a fresh perspective towards children with dyslexia, a learning disability. With his new film, the actor-producer hopes to wield that magic yet again for the intellectually challenged. One of the major differences in both the films is the fact that Sitaare Zameen Par has real people with intellectual disabilities bringing their raw energy on screen - a reason which also sets it apart from most Indian commercials films made about the community. Hindustan Times reached out to the film's team for details about the film's casting process, but they are closely guarding this information until the movie hits the theatres. ALSO READ: Autism in adults: How to cope and live a wholesome life One look at the film's trailer, and another at the debutants' behind-the-scenes lives, will tell you why the world calls them "special". Apart from Rishabh Jain, there's Aroush Dutta, who is a percussionist by passion; Gopi Krishnan Varma, who became India's first lead actor with Down Syndrome in a Malayalam film; Rishi Shahani, a gold medalist in swimming; Samvit Desai, who loves singing and dancing; Naman Misra, a software developer and model, Ashish Pendse, a poetry enthusiast; as well as Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali and Simran Mangeshkar. "Rishabh dreamed of this moment since he was 7 — he wanted to be a 'comedy actor'. He has been the family entertainer for years, mimicking SRK's pose, copying Ranbir's dance moves, echoing Mr Bean's Hellos, and now donning 'AK Sir's' (Aamir Khan) glasses with pride. So here he is — 20 years later, living that dream," Rishabh's mother Sangita Jain wrote in an Instagram post. A post shared by Rishabh Jain (@rishables) Shalini Kedia, Chairperson, Fragile X Society of India, is herself a mother to a boy battling this rare syndrome - a disorder discovered globally only in 1991. She says her son was India's first child to be diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome 26 years ago. As parents, Shalini and her husband felt lost mostly because when they asked the doctor if they could meet or speak to another family dealing with the disorder, they were told: "I don't know another family." Running an awareness organization which brings together parents, children, therapists and experts to empower each other, has since been a passion project - a way of giving back to the world. ALSO READ: Autism in adults: Signs of autism spectrum disorder as you get older "Fragile X Syndrome is one of the leading inherited causes of intellectual disability and a common single-gene cause of Autism Spectrum Disorder. My son wasn't even standing independently at the age of 18 months. He achieved all his milestones with the help of therapy. So, I see Sitaare Zameen Par as a personal victory in the sense that somebody with the Fragile X Syndrome gets to be on the big screen," Shalini tells HT Health Shots. Awareness, she believes, brings acceptance and inclusion. Plus, given how DIE - Diversity, Inclusion and Equity - are becoming key pillars in corporate workplaces, it is time that neurotypical people are sensitised towards their own behaviour in neurodivergent company. Nivedita, a mother of two who is working closely with parents of children with special needs in Delhi-NCR, says there is a dire need for neurotypical individuals to change their attitude and approach towards children with special needs. "Stop feeling sorry for anyone with special needs. Start supporting them," says Nivedita. She adds: "I interact with a lot of parents with kids who are battling ADHD, Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder and more. The least we can do, as a society, is to help them feel normal, instead of distancing ourselves and dismissing them. Even schools should sensitize children and teachers towards any child with special needs because not all kids with an intellectual disability need a special school. If a neurodivergent child needs therapy to fit into a certain system, neurotypical families need fixing of their minds towards these kids. It all starts with giving them an equal opportunity - whether it is the family, school, society or the world at large." What Sitaare Zameen Par attempts to do is spread the message of inclusivity through its mantra, 'Sabka Apna Apna Normal' - every person has his or her own definition of normal. This is a message that media entrepreneur Aditi Gangrade has also been trying to spread through her media company Much Much Media, a studio and community telling original stories of neurodivergence and disability for over three years. Aditi and her journalist-turned-producer husband Aalap Deboor were drawn to the subject of neurodivergence upon their own accidental Autism diagnosis in 2022, at the age of 23 and 33 respectively. "When we looked at Indian or even Asian content around autism, it was mostly from a very pitiful or infantilizing lens. Most of the content made neurodivergent people look like they don't know what they are doing, and are very childlike. That is why we decided to start Much Much Spectrum, a content division under Much Much Media to make original content focusing solely on disability and neurodiversity," explains Aditi. As someone who appreciates cinema, she found that "Taare Zameen Par" became a catalyst in urging several parents to look closer at dyslexia traits in their child and seek early diagnosis. With the new film, since the makers are bringing intellectually challenged people into the mainstream for real, she is hoping for a bigger change. Internationally, there are shows like Heartbreak High and Geek Girl, with good representation of neurodivergence. "From the Indian perspective, we were lacking in this sense. A very desi Hindi film with humour and something which the masses in tier-1, tier-2 cities can appreciate, is more than welcome. It helps to change the perspective to the fact that a developmental disability is not a deficit," says Aditi. ALSO READ: How to identify autism early to avoid complications? That truly resonates with what some of Sitaare Zameen Par's 10 cast members feel about themselves. Rishi Shahani, the swimmer and dance-lover, for example, says, "There is no greater disability in society than the inability to see a person as more. My ability is stronger than my disability. No matter what, I know I CAN." There's Gopi Krishnan Verma who has already had a brush with cinema. In 2021, he became the first Indian with Down Syndrome to feature as a lead actor in a Malayalam film titled Thirike. Born in 1998 with Down Syndrome, ADHD and respiratory issues, Gopi never let his disability affect what he is passionate about. In a past interview with Onmanorama, his mother shared that Gopi was attracted to cinema and performing arts since his childhood. He enjoys dancing and mimicry, and getting a chance to be a part of a movie was a dream for him. Naman Misra was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was around 3 years old. His speech and behaviour had regressed, leading people to treat him differently throughout his growing up years. But he grew up dreaming to do bigger things - of featuring on a magazine cover, some day. He went on to become a software developer and a model, and his dreams became bigger when he landed a role in Sitaare Zameen Par. "Honestly I would have never in a million years imagined working with The Aamir Khan and his team of young and budding workforce... My childhood dream was made and I feel a sense of euphoria and charisma inside of me," Naman writes on Instagram. Simran Mangeshkar clearly affirms her life's philosophy on her Instagram page: "Breaking barriers, one frame at a time. Born with an extra chromosome and endless magic!" While we wait to see the magic on screen, Shalini Kedia of Fragile X Society has a word of praise. "It's not easy to get neurodiverse children to act. They all come with their moods and their own set of habits. And when you're doing a movie, you will definitely want some kind of a performance. So, kudos to them!"