Like Stars on Earth
A young boy is thought to be nothing but a lazy troublemaker until the new art teacher has the patience and compassion to discover the real problem behind his struggles in school.
Directed by Aamir Khan · Drama · Family · 162 min · 2007
Trailer
Director
Aamir Khan
Writer
Amole Gupte
Studio
Aamir Khan Productions / PVR Pictures
Release
21 Dec 2007
Runtime
162 min
Genres
Drama, Family
Full Plot
Ishaan Awasthi is an eight-year-old child whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appretiate are just not important in the world of adults, who are much more interested in things like homework, marks and neatness. And Ishaan just cannot seem to get anything right in class. When he gets into far more trouble than his parents can handle, he is packed off to a boarding school to 'be disciplined'. Things are no different at his new school, and Ishaan has to contend with the added trauma of separation from his family. One day a new art teacher bursts onto the scene, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, who infects the students with joy and optimism. He breaks all the rules of 'how things are done' by asking them to think, dream and imagine, and all the children respond with enthusiasm, all except Ishaan. Nikumbh soon realizes that Ishaan is very unhappy, and he sets out to discover why. With time, patience and care, he ultimately helps Ishaan find himself.
Cast & Characters
Ishaan "Inu" Nandkishore Awasthi
Darsheel Safary
Maya Nandkishore Awasthi, Nandkishore's wife and Yohaan's and Ishaan's mother
Tisca Chopra
Young Ishaan
Veer Mohan
Nandkishore Awasthi, Maya's husband and Yohaan's and Ishaan's father
Vipin Sharma
Yohaan Nandkishore Awasthi, Nandkishore's and Maya's first son and Ishaan's elder brother
Sachet Engineer
Young Yohaan
Aniket Engineer
Rajan Damodran, Ishaan's best friend and classmate at New Era High School
Tanay Chheda
Ranjeet
Ramit Gupta
Jabeen Khan, Ram's co-worker
Girija Oak
Mr. Sen and Mr. Tiwari, Two teachers of New Era High School
Bugs Bhargava and Shankar Sachdev
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $2.6M, Like Stars on Earth has grossed $28.4M worldwide — about 10.9x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Like Stars on Earth is part of TMDb's "Taare Zameen Par Collection."
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Did You Know Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia developed a story to understand why some children struggle with conventional education.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Their work evolved from a short story over seven years into a screenplay.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Aamir Khan's original inspiration was the childhood of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, who did poorly in school.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Dyslexia became the central theme and topic of the film after researching with the Maharashtra Dyslexia Association and Parents for a Better Curriculum for the Child (PACE).
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
Like Stars on Earth holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (227,525 votes), 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.3/10 on IMDb (227,525 votes), 93% on Rotten Tomatoes), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Like Stars on Earth's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Like Stars on Earth holds a 93% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Like Stars on Earth's IMDb rating?+
Like Stars on Earth has a 8.3/10 rating on IMDb from 227,525 votes.
Is Like Stars on Earth good? What are critics saying?+
Like Stars on Earth holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (227,525 votes), 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
How long is Like Stars on Earth?+
Like Stars on Earth has a runtime of 162 min.
Who directed Like Stars on Earth?+
Like Stars on Earth was directed by Aamir Khan.
Where can I watch Like Stars on Earth?+
Like Stars on Earth is available to stream, rent, or buy on Google Play Movies, YouTube.
