Back in 2007, Ishaan’s struggles in ‘Taare Zameen Paar’ made India sit and noticed what Dyslexia really looks like. The film shifted teachers to tears and motivated parents to tease their children a little. This helped many people realize, perhaps for the first time, that the child who could not “umbrella” was not lazy or “slow”, just different.

Seventeen years later, we are being invited back to that dialogue. But this time, scope is widespread, and the vocabulary may be unfamiliar to many people. The word is neurodynavargans.

Before we go to theaters tomorrow, popcorn and sympathetic hand, it is worth staying to be real. Because beyond the 70 mm screen, in real homes and classrooms across India, neurodivargant children are still misunderstood, wrong diagnosis, and often misbehaved. They are invisible because most of us do not know what to see. Or worse, they are dismissed as disobedient, their parents are blamed for “bad parenting”, or written as something that requires “fixed”.

So if you are planning to see ‘Sitare Zameen Paar’ – and you care about the story that tells it – what you really know to know here.

Neurodivergans is no fault

What is really neurodergens?

Neurodivargent children experience and process the world through a separate lens. This can mean a child with autism that finds loud noise heavy, or a child with ADHD who struggles to focus but burst with creativity. It can be a teenager with discliance that finds a number of confusing numbers, or a dysprexia that struggles to buttons or keep a pencil.

There is no problem of correcting these problems. They are only the natural transformation of the human brain. But sadly, Indian society still considers these children as a problem. And this is the place, as mental health specialist Dr. Jetnder Nagpal has warned, “lifetime loss” begins.

School un-cool

If you feel that the school neurodivers are equipped to handle children today, then think again. Sheetal Tyagi, who runs NGOs supporting neurodergent children in India, says, “There are only resource centers and trained professionals in some progressive schools in urban areas. Most schools, even in the metro, are completely unprepared.” Teachers have zero training in identifying or supporting neurodionary students; Special teachers, where they are present, are more work and underpads. Not to forget, the entire system is obsessed with rout learning, harsh behavior and standardized performance.

outcome? A child who fails to deal with sensitive overload is called “mischievous”. A child who cannot still sit is rejected as “disruptive”. A child requires extra time, written as “slow”.

Label that sticks, and children who shrink under them.

Diagnosis is a privilege

The state of neurodionary diagnosis in India is also tarnished. “Any mental health diagnosis is still seen as a luxury,” Dr. Nagpal says. “This requires awareness, time, money and access to trained professionals. For rural areas or low -income families, it is almost impossible.” And even when parents feel different, they often meet with indifference or denial: “Don’t worry, he will grow out of it.” “Just discipline her more.”

Emotional and educational damage can already occur as long as they find a qualified professional.

Inclusive one sham

We like to use the word “inclusive” – ​​in brochure, school websites and in social media posts. But inclusion is not about a seat in a class or a token role in a film. As Tyagi has said, true inclusion means “Creating an environment where neurodivarian children are not only allowed to remain in existence – but are also supported, understood and celebrated every day.” More than a film, what we want is a culture that does not distinguish mock, sideline, or pathologies.

Right now, we are not close to that vision.

If ‘Sitare land cross’ is anything like its predecessor, it will shake emotions. It can also change some minds. But let’s clear: It is still a film.

This can show us a glimpse of neurodergent experience – beauty, pain, flexibility. But it cannot cure systemic ignorance, stigma and lack of infrastructure that defines life for most neurodionary children in India.

That part is above us.

Therefore, before watching the film, ask yourself:

• Do I know signs of autism in children, ADHD, or learning disability?
• Do I support the policies that fund inclusive education and mental healthcare?
• Do I use words like “crazy” or “funny” to describe the behaviors that do not understand me?
• Have I ever talked when a neurodivargent person has been mocked, ignored, or ignored?