Movie review - Sitare Zameen Par

This blog is based on R.K.Narayan's story crime and punishment and Sitare Zameen Par is based on this story so this blog is about movie review and This task was assigned by Megha Trivedi ma'am.

Movie review  - Sitare Zameen Par

Introduction

Education is more than a system of grades, classrooms, and discipline it is a deeply human journey filled with empathy, mistakes, growth, and emotional understanding. Two powerful narratives  the film Sitare Zameen Par and R. K. Narayan’s short story Crime and Punishment offer contrasting yet insightful reflections on the dynamics between educators, learners, and parents.

While Crime and Punishment critiques the rigid, often unrealistic expectations placed on both students and teachers, Sitare Zameen Par tells a story of redemption and transformation, highlighting the emotional depth of inclusive education. Watching the film after reading the short story allowed me to reflect not only on educational values but also on the personal transformations that occur when we learn to listen, understand, and connect beyond the surface.

The Education System: A Mirror of Compassion or Control? 

Sitare Zameen Par sheds light on an often-ignored segment of the education system children with intellectual and psychological challenges. Gulshan Arora, a disillusioned basketball coach, is forced into an unexpected role: training a team of intellectually challenged players. What starts as a reluctant duty transforms into a heartfelt journey of mutual learning and growth.

Unlike the rigid, test-oriented mindset seen in Crime and Punishment, where a private tutor is under constant pressure to ensure academic success at the cost of emotional understanding, Sitare Zameen Par emphasizes inclusion, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. In the film, education is no longer about conformity but about liberation a celebration of individual abilities.

Both narratives critique a system that often prioritizes results over real learning. In Narayan’s story, the obsession with performance is so intense that the teacher resorts to violence, trapped between the parents’ idealism and the child's cunning. In contrast, Sitare Zameen Par shows a slow but steady dismantling of these rigid expectations through lived experience.

Role of Teachers and Parents: Guides or Gatekeepers?

In Crime and Punishment, the teacher is caught in a web of conflicting roles  an underpaid servant, a reluctant educator, and a victim of psychological blackmail by the child and pressure from the parents. The boy's parents believe in a liberal, hands-off style of parenting, misinterpreting affection as indulgence, which leads to disrespect and manipulation. The teacher, though initially harsh, is ultimately powerless.

Sitare Zameen Par presents a redemptive arc. Gulshan Arora begins as a typical authoritarian coach, overwhelmed by his assignment. However, through his interactions with the team especially moments like helping Guddu overcome his fear of bathing Gulshan transitions from a coach to a compassionate mentor. His transformation is catalyzed not by curriculum but by human connection.

Where Narayan’s teacher becomes a victim of the system, Gulshan reclaims his identity and purpose through empathy. The film advocates that teachers and parents must first understand, not impose. In fact, one of the most heartwarming messages of the movie is that sometimes students  regardless of their perceived limitations can teach the most profound lessons.

Aspect	Crime and Punishment	Sitare Zameen Par
Tone	Satirical, cynical	Uplifting, emotional
Teacher’s Role	Oppressed, manipulated	Redeemed, transformed
Child’s Depiction	Spoiled, cunning	Vulnerable, sincere
Parent’s Role	Idealistic, detached	Absent but implied — transformation is internal
Theme	Dysfunction in modern parenting and education	Redemption, empathy, inclusion, and resilience

What I Learned and Felt

Watching Sitare Zameen Par was a journey of personal reflection. I was moved by the honesty with which the film addresses phobias  from Guddu’s fear of water to Gulshan’s fear of lifts. These symbolic moments show that we are all vulnerable, and learning is not one-sided.

The film made me question: How often do we dismiss someone just because they don't "fit" into our conventional systems? It taught me that inclusivity is not charity it’s justice.

I felt a deep sense of warmth at the end when Gulshan, once afraid of responsibility, accepts impending fatherhood with joy. His arc from reluctant coach to empathetic father-to-be shows the transformative power of connection.

Conclusion

Both Sitare Zameen Par and Crime and Punishment illuminate the flaws, tensions, and possibilities within our education systems. Narayan uses satire to expose the mechanical, often hypocritical, pressures that adults impose on children. In contrast, Sitare Zameen Par uses human vulnerability and emotional growth to show that real education lies in empathy, patience, and mutual respect.

The most powerful takeaway from Sitare Zameen Par is that learning happens both ways  the teacher learns from the students, just as much as, if not more than, they learn from him. As Gulshan himself realizes:

“They taught me more than I taught them.”

           Gulshan Arora, Sitare Zameen Par

In the end, education is not about producing success stories  it's about creating safe spaces for people to become the best version of themselves.

References : 

Narayan, R. K. Malgudi Days. Indian Thought Publications, 1982. Accessed 13 July 2025.

Sitare Zameen Par. Directed by R.S. Prasanna, Aamir Khan Aparna Purohit, 2025.