'Sitaare Zameen Par': Here’s what Aamir Khan revealed about his bold new character

The trailer for Aamir Khan’s new film, ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’, has just been released, giving us a touching and inspiring look at the lives of differently-abled children. The story follows Aamir as a once-famous basketball coach who has hit a low point after some legal troubles and careless behaviour. To make amends, he is ordered by the court to coach a group of people on the autism spectrum while also paying a fine.A fresh story with new facesThe film stars ten new young actors, Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra, and Simran Mangeshkar. Genelia Deshmukh plays Aamir’s love interest, adding a romantic touch to the story.A sequel with a twistA few weeks ago, during a chat with his China fan club, Aamir opened up about the film. The post shared on X (formerly Twitter) and gave fans a glimpse of what they can expect.Aamir said, “I am working on a film now [Sitaare Zameen Par] which is almost ready. It is the sequel of Taare Zameen Par. Thematically, it is going ten steps ahead. It is about people who are differently abled. It is about love, friendship and life. Taare Zameen Par made you cry but this film will make you laugh. It’s a comedy but the theme is the same.”While ‘Taare Zameen Par’ focused on a dyslexic child’s struggles, ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ is about adults and young people with autism. It keeps the emotional heart of the original but mixes it with humour, sports, and a strong message of self-discovery.A character unlike any otherIn ‘Taare Zameen Par’, Aamir played Ram Shankar Nikumbh, a kind and thoughtful teacher who helped a struggling boy Ishan. But this time, the character is very different.He explained, "My character in Taare Zameen Par was Nikumb, who is a very sensitive person. In this film my character’s name is Gulshan but his personality is exactly opposite to Nikumbh. He is not sensitive at all. He is very rude, politically incorrect and he insults everybody. He fights with his wife, mother. He is a basketball coach and he beats up his senior coach. He is a person with a lot of internal problems, and the story is how he changes with the film. How these people in the spectrum teach him what it is to be a good human being.”This time, instead of being the one who helps others, Aamir’s character will be the one learning and growing. The trailer shows glimpses of Gulshan’s journey from being angry and bitter to slowly understanding love, patience and kindness from the players he coaches.Genelia Deshmukh calls her character ‘deeply human’Adding another layer to the story is Genelia Deshmukh, who plays Gulshan’s love interest. Known for her bubbly and emotional performances, Genelia’s role is said to bring warmth and heart to the film.Talking about her experience, she shared, “This role is unlike anything I’ve done before! It’s emotional, layered, and deeply human. I’m truly grateful for the love the trailer has received, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience the film.” It will be interesting to see how her character fits into Gulshan’s chaotic world and helps him grow.‘Sitaare Zameen Par’ is set to release in cinemas on 20 June 2025.