THE YEAR 2007 saw many over-the-top hyped films like Partner, Welcome, Om Shanti Om walk off with record-shattering box office returns. High budget entries like Mani Ratnam’s Guru rarely featured credible acting or memorable story. It finally took Aamir Khan’s filmmaking debut, Taare Zameen Par, to restore the balance between a high budget, credible acting, and powerful story telling to polish off a winning film.

Khan’s film is seen through the eyes of Ishaan Avasthi (Darsheel Safary), a feisty third-grader who is teased mercilessly for being slow. After repeated disciplinary run-ins at his local school, Avasthi’s desperate parents enroll him in a remote boarding school known for its ‘disciplinary’ tactics. At the boarding school, the still-struggling Ishaan catches the attention of Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan), an art teacher who takes an interest in helping Ishaan.

Central to the plot is the give and take between the always-struggling Avasthi and Nikumbh. To avoid hogging the spotlight, Khan’s Nikumbh wisely stays off-camera until halfway through the film. Nikumbh’s challenge is to gradually draw Avasthi out of his self-imposed cocoon while helping both Avasthi’s family and Avasthi’s school cope with his disability. The fact that Avasthi is naturally drawn to the world of drawing and that Nikumbh is an art teacher helps, as does the mission-validating secret that Nikumbh harbours.

Musically, the trio – Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy – delivers what may be their best score since they got started with the late Mukul Anand’s unfinished Dus in 1997. The title track and a tune called ‘Maa…’, both crooned by Shankar Mahadevan, are melancholy twin towers on a magnificent score. Mahadevan, whose vocal prowess often gets overlooked by his music writing abilities, finally gets his due.

Tisca Chopra’s supporting role as Avasthi’s mother is noteworthy as the pivotal mother-son connection is foremost to Avasthi’s pain. For his part, Khan is brilliantly understated. To act without making it look like one is acting may be Khan’s forte. And the camera loves him – from certain angles, Khan’s dramatic intensity is reminiscent of a young Dev Anand from the 1950s. While Shahrukh Khan may be the bigger star, Aamir is the best overall actor for his generation.

Here, however, it’s the wondrous Safary who steals the show. A natural before the camera, Safary gets right every mood and genuflects what the role calls for. The ability to convey emotion at a level that elicits universal empathy for the plight of a nine-year-old is simply phenomenal. While Aamir excels behind the camera, it’s Safary who steals scenes left and right.

The film uses colourful, eye-catching graphics to showcase the state of current special effects in Hindi films and to ride the surreal fantasy world imagined by a child. All this would be difficult for many other filmmakers. Not so for Aamir. Yes, bring the hankies –you will need those. Yes, take the whole family, especially the young ones, as everyone will enjoy. And yes, Aamir successfully enters an exciting new career domain with the best Hindi film of 2007.