Director RS Prasanna talks about working with neuro-divergent actors in Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan's humaneness, his art of letting go of ego while making a film, and more
In chasing our goals in life, we often tend to dismiss what our intuition is telling us, probably because it’s just a quiet nudge, a “whisper that rarely shouts.” But writer-director RS Prasanna chose to listen to that whisper and pursue what he once considered an “unbelievable dream.” Today, as he awaits the release of his new directorial, the Aamir Khan-starrer Sitaare Zameen Par, which is set to hit theatres on June 20, Prasanna reflects on how he came to direct one of India’s biggest stars.
“When I began my career in Tamil cinema, it would have been crazy to even dream of working with a big star like Aamir. I was just a fan, having first seen him from afar at an award function in Chennai many years ago. I simply followed what my guru, the great filmmaker Steven Spielberg, often says about the importance of listening to one’s intuition — and it worked,” he says, in a candid chat with The Federal.
Sitaare Zameen Par’s therapeutic vibe
However, it must be said that despite having only two films to his name — one of them being the 2013 Tamil comedy Kalyana Samayal Saadham — Prasanna managed to push boundaries in Indian cinema in a Vicky Donor-ish way by deftly handling a taboo subject like erectile dysfunction. And, it so happened that a year after its Hindi remake, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, released in 2017, the Dangal star’s production office got in touch with him to ask if Prasanna had a script for Aamir.
When Prasanna did get his hands on a strong script, an adaptation of the 2018 Spanish film Champions, he jumped at the opportunity to work with neurodivergent people. And he knew he wanted Aamir for the film. The story revolves around a basketball coach, who has to train a team of specially-abled players as punishment. But what begins as a penalty soon turns out to be a transformative experience for the character. “I felt Aamir was the right person for the role: he has a humanness about him,” says Prasanna.
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The first reactions trickling in about Sitaare Zameen Par, touted to be a ‘spiritual sequel’ to Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par (2007), seem positive, with people calling it a ‘perception changer’. Commenting on the ‘heartwarming’ feedback they have been receiving after the trailer and select private shows, Prasanna says, “Besides engaging audiences, we wanted the film to start a conversation. We hope it will touch hearts and change mindsets. That’s what made Taare Zameen Par special. I remember bawling my heart out in that film. Some films are therapeutic because they heal and Sitaare Zameen Par, too, has the same vibe.”
On directing the neuro-divergent
On his experience of directing people from the neuro-divergent community, who had never acted before, he shares, “It took us 10 months to conduct 2,500 auditions to select the actors first.” Not a stranger to working with amateurs since he handled 130 amateurs for his documentary on Swami Chinmayananda, Prasanna remained unfazed. But the ‘scale of the operation’ here was huge, he admits.
RS Prasanna (extreme right) with Aamir Khan and others on the sets of Sitaare Zameen Par. Photo courtesy of the director
“We were working with 10 primary specially-abled people and 80 others who formed the opposition team in the basketball match and that was quite a task. However, I enjoyed every moment of the journey,” says Prasanna. For the film crew, the ‘sitaares’ or the specially-abled actors, who were in the age group of 18 years to 42 years, always came first.
NGOs, educationists, therapists and social workers also came forward to help them provide a safe environment, shares Prasanna. “Their parents were also on the set. We went through workshops conducted by a pediatrician Dr Nina Vaidya, a special education consultant, who specialises in creating inclusive spaces. Care was taken to ensure they were comfortable, from their diet to clothing,” he explains.
Since the actors in the film were ‘highly functional’ specially-abled people, they had no difficulty in memorising lines. “We just had to give them acting tools we usually give any amateurs. It is thanks to decades of special education and therapy that they are the stars of their community today. They are truly the success stories of the amazing special education facilities available in India today and are stellar examples of what wonders one can achieve with proper educationists, doctors, therapists and parental awareness,” says Prasanna.
The Guna factor
Prasanna has always been attracted to the concept of ‘different intelligences’ and tussled with what constitutes abnormal or normal behaviour. The director, who is an ardent fan of Tamil actor Kamal Haasan, came to cinema because of the 1991 Tamil film Guna. Considered to be a ‘cult’ film, Kamal Haasan plays a neuro-divergent person living in a fantasy world where he imagines himself as Lord Shiva and kidnaps a girl, who he designates as Parvati, his ‘pure’ love and consort.
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“I had a strange connection with the Guna character. It had a strong impact on me. In fact, my relatives used to make fun of me, saying I would mimic Kamal Haasan as a child and go around in circles and hit my head against the wall. But who is to judge what is normal? In a world filled with cruelty in which he is born, can we call Guna insane for seeking pure love?” he asks.
“Recent studies show talent can possibly be on the spectrum. We are learning now how different kinds of intelligences exist and that is not a problem. It is just a beautiful diverse gift,” points out Prasanna.
On working with Aamir Khan
It’s when directors want to grow as a filmmaker that they reach out to talents like Kamal and Aamir Khan, says Prasanna. In his experience, Aamir was refreshing to work with since he was always open to feedback. “Aamir may have worked hard on a particular scene, but any kid can tell him the scene did not work for him. He will give that kid a hearing, completely and sincerely. I learnt from him not to let ego come in the way of making a beautiful film.”
“It was not about cornering dialogues or closeups for himself; Aamir is the antithesis of that,” shares Prasanna. “He’s like the third empire closely following the rule book. The script is the rule book, and he is excited about anything that betters the script. It is phenomenal to have a mentor like him,” says Prasanna.
A game-changing move
Prasanna is also all praise for Aamir’s game-changing decision to skip OTT platforms for now. “It an important move and I am very happy this film is available only in theatres,” states the director. Aamir Khan has always strongly pitched for a 100-day window before a film reaches OTT, believing it kills theatrical releases if viewers know they can soon watch a film on OTT.
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“He is giving the theatrical window the correct weightage that it deserves. Before people can enjoy the film in theatres, it is available elsewhere. This is killing cinema and that is what Aamir wants to avoid,” he adds gravely. On whether it will avoid OTT platforms and exclusively stream on YouTube later, Prasanna clarifies that currently this is the only communication they are putting out: go watch the film in theatres.
The learnings
Working on Sitaare Zameen Par with specially-abled stars has changed him, confesses Prasanna. “The specially-abled actors are full of humour and happiness. The film reflects the tonality of how they look at life, which is full of masti (fun). The film’s energy comes from them. I’ve become a more actively empathetic person after this experience. Earlier, I had empathy, but I learnt what caring truly means after I witnessed the patience of the parents of these specially-abled actors,” he shares.
Whenever he was tired and stressed after a shoot, his ‘sitaares’ (superstars) would kiss and hug him and reassure him, ‘Don’t worry Prasanna, it will be alright’. “I am always a hugger, and I believe I emanate positive energy, but these guys are the father of it all. ‘Go and hug people, tell them you love them, get actively empathetic:’ this is what they taught me,” he says.