Summary

Every child is Special (Taare Zameen Par)

Summary:

Ishaan Nandkishore Awasthi is an eight-year-old boy who dislikes school and fails every test or exam. He finds all subjects difficult, and is belittled by his teachers and classmates. But Ishaan's internal world is rich with wonders that he is unable to convey to others, magical lands filled with color and animated animals. He is an artist whose talent is unrecognized.
Ishaan's father, Nandkishore Awasthi is a successful executive who expects his children to excel. His mother Maya Awasthi is frustrated by her inability to educate her son. Ishaan's elder brother, Yohaan is an exemplary scholar and athlete, which Ishaan is frequently reminded of.
After receiving a particularly poor academic report, Ishaan's parents send him to a boarding school. There he sinks into a state of fear and depression, despite being befriended by Rajan, physically disabled and one of the top students in his class. Ishaan's situation changes when a new art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, joins the school's faculty. An instructor at the Tulips School for young children with developmental disabilities, he's teaching style is markedly different from that of his strict predecessor, and he quickly observes that Ishaan is unhappy and contributes little to class activities. He reviews Ishaan's work and concludes that his academic shortcomings are indicative of dyslexia. On his day off, Mr. Nikumbh visits Ishaan's parents and asks if he can see more of their son's work. He is stunned by the sophistication of one of Ishaan's paintings, and tells his parents that Ishaan is a bright child who processes information differently from other children in his class, but Ishaan's father is suspicious that the explanation is simply an excuse for his son's poor performance. Mr. Nikumbh describes dyslexia to them and explains that it is not a sign of low intelligence. He tells them he can provide extra tutoring that will help Ishaan.
Mr. Nikumbh subsequently brings up the topic of dyslexia in class, and offers a list of famous people who were dyslexic. This caught Ishaan’s attention. The class was sent out the classroom and Ishaan made a boat that showed his talent. Mr. Nikumbh then visits the school's principal and obtains his permission to become Ishaan's tutor. He attempts to improve Ishaan's reading and writing by using remedial techniques developed by dyslexia specialists; Ishaan soon develops an interest in language and mathematics, and his grades improve.
Towards the end of the school year Mr. Nikumbh organizes an art fair for the staff and students. The competition is judged by artist Lalita Lajmi. Ishaan, with his strikingly creative style, is declared the winner and Mr. Nikumbh, who paints Ishaan's portrait, the runner-up. As for being the winner, his painting was the book cover of their school year book and Mr. Nikumbh’s painting at the back which is the face of Ishaan. Teachers and parents were very proud of Ishaan. It was all thanks to Mr. Nikumbh who did not give up on the boy who once didn’t know how to write and read.

credits (c)