Sitaare Zameen Par EXCLUSIVE: Aamir Khan reveals his upcoming film is about mental health in many ways; confirms release date

In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Bollywood icon Aamir Khan opened up about what’s next in his work life. Speaking candidly, he revealed, “Meri toh agli abhi film aa rahi hai, Sitaare Zameen Par. June 20 ko hum logon ne decide kiya release karne ke liye aur...” (My next film Sitaare Zameen Par, is coming soon; we’ve decided to release it on June 20...). During the conversation, his daughter, Ira Khan, briefly interjected, adding, “Neurodivergent peer support, in case anyone is interested.”

Aamir continued, emphasizing the larger theme of the film, “Nahi aur usme actually wo film bhi, in a larger sense, it is about mental health in many ways. Jab aap mere kirdaar ko dekhenge, tab aap samjhenge, main kya bol raha hoon, toh khair it's a film that's connected, but well, fingers crossed, I'm just working on that right now.” (Actually, the film is also, in a larger sense, about mental health in many ways. When you see my character, you’ll understand what I mean. Anyway, it’s a film that’s connected to that theme—fingers crossed, I’m working on it right now.)

This revelation has heightened anticipation for Sitaare Zameen Par, already seen as a spiritual successor to Aamir Khan’s 2007 landmark film Taare Zameen Par. While the original focused on the emotional journey of a young boy with dyslexia, Sitaare Zameen Par takes a lighter, more humorous route — yet remains rooted in themes of mental health and inclusivity.

Watch the full conversation with Aamir Khan and Ira Khan here:

In a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Aamir called Sitaare Zameen Par “a beautiful story” and shared, “Actually, the easiest way I can describe it is that Taare Zameen Par is a very emotional film which makes you cry. Sitaare Zameen Par makes you laugh; it’s a humorous film. The theme is similar—of people with different abilities, different intelligence, or different challenges. But it’s humor as opposed to emotions.”

Aamir also shared that the sequel feels like a step forward from its predecessor. “In many ways, I feel it’s way ahead of Taare Zameen Par, because in Taare Zameen Par, the person with the challenge—Ishaan—was helped by my character. In Sitaare Zameen Par, it’s the ten people with challenges who help me, the supposedly normal person. So I feel it goes much further. I hope it turns out well,” he said.

For those who remember, Taare Zameen Par was not just a box office success but also a cultural milestone. Written by Amole Gupte, the 2007 film was widely praised for bringing learning disorders, especially dyslexia, into mainstream awareness in India. It starred a young Darsheel Safary as Ishaan and Aamir as the compassionate art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh. The film earned three National Film Awards.

Sitaare Zameen Par, announced officially in October 2023, is directed by RS Prasanna and promises a fresh perspective while staying rooted in the subject of people with special abilities. It stars Aamir Khan, Darsheel Safary and Genelia Deshmukh in pivotal roles. Interestingly, the upcoming film is inspired by the 2018 Spanish film Champions, which deals with a similar theme of neurodiversity and acceptance. Sitaare Zameen Par releases in theaters on June 20, 2025.

ALSO READ: Sitaare Zameen Par: Aamir Khan starrer's trailer gets approved by CBFC; here's all the tea you don't want to miss before it releases