Like Stars on Earth

Ishaan Awasthi is an eight year old whose imagination fills his days with color, birds, and small wonders that adults dismiss as distraction. At school he struggles, labeled lazy and unruly as marks and neatness take priority over how he learns. Sent to a boarding school, his confidence sinks further until a new art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, recognizes that Ishaan learns differently. Through patience, creative exercises, and quiet persistence the teacher helps Ishaan reconnect with learning and his family, while the story stays focused on the child's inner life and slow changes that deeply reshape his world.

Released in 2007, the film was directed by Aamir Khan and written and created by Amole Gupte, presenting an original story with Darsheel Safary starring as Ishaan and Aamir Khan as the teacher, with Tisca Chopra and Tanay Chheda.

The film connected strongly with Indian audiences and did well commercially, earning solid box office returns domestically and attracting viewers internationally, boosting visibility beyond the typical art house circuit with strong word of mouth in many Indian cities nationwide.

The movie significantly raised awareness about dyslexia and learning differences in India, shifting public and educational discussion toward more empathetic, student centered approaches. Ishaan and Nikumbh became shorthand in debates about teaching methods, and the film inspired campaigns, school workshops, and conversations about creativity, assessment, and parental expectations and policy.

Critics and audiences responded warmly, reflected in a vote average of 7.962 out of 10 from 1,273 votes, praising Darsheel Safary and Aamir Khan's performances and the emotional storytelling. The film questions rigid schooling, highlights learning differences, creativity, parental pressure, and the need for kinder, individualized teaching methods and empathy.