Like Stars on Earth

In the vibrant, chaotic tapestry of childhood, eight-year-old Ishaan Awasthi lives in a world of his own magnificent creation. His mind is a canvas painted with the brilliant hues of a rainbow, his imagination soaring as high as the kites he loves to watch dance in the sky. He sees stories in puddles, conversations between clouds, and a universe of wonder in the simple darting of a fish. Yet, in the rigid, structured world of adults, these gifts are invisible. To his teachers and his increasingly frustrated father, Ishaan is not a dreamer but a problem—a boy who is lazy, disobedient, and hopelessly behind in his studies. The classroom is a prison of incomprehensible letters and numbers that twist and dance mockingly on the page. Every failed test and every scolding from his teacher chips away at his spirit. His parents, desperate for a solution and seeing only his defiance, make the heart-wrenching decision to send him away to a strict boarding school. Uprooted from his home and the few things that bring him joy, Ishaan is plunged into profound loneliness. The vibrant colors of his world fade to gray under the weight of rules, discipline, and the crushing belief that he is stupid and unwanted. He withdraws completely, his artistic spark extinguished by shame and isolation. Just as his light seems destined to flicker out forever, a beacon arrives in the form of Ram Shankar Nikumbh, a new art teacher. Unlike anyone Ishaan has ever met, Ram sees not a troublemaker, but a child in pain. He observes Ishaan’s struggles with reading and writing not as a lack of effort, but as a potential sign of dyslexia. Ram is motivated by a deep empathy and a belief that every child is unique, with their own rhythm and pace of learning. He makes it his mission to help Ishaan and, more importantly, to make Ishaan believe in himself again. What follows is a beautiful and emotional journey of rediscovery. Ram employs unconventional teaching methods, using art, music, and patience to unlock the brilliant mind trapped by its own unique wiring. He helps Ishaan understand that his difference is not a disability, but a different ability. The film masterfully chronicles Ishaan’s transformation from a defeated, silent boy back into the creative, spirited child he was always meant to be, proving that sometimes, the stars that shine the brightest are the ones we almost failed to see.