Aamir Khan is known to bring new perspectives and new stories into mainstream Bollywood cinema.Each year we are presented with a fresh take on relationships, life and everyday characters that we all relate to in some way or another. Aamir Khan, along with his wife Kiran Rao, this year has given us an important film which hits the right notes even if they’re uncomfortable and leaves its viewers with hope. Secret Superstar was a breath of fresh air in a year where Bollywood failed to meet its own standards where mostly the audience was left unsatisfied despite their constant affection which is reinstated each Friday morning.
Secret Superstar is a story of a young Muslim girl called Insia in Vadodara who comes a hope that her talent is acknowledged by not just her mother but the entire world. As we see glimpses of her passion as she plays her guitar or as she dwells into a whole new world while writing her lyrics, we see that her conservative family serves as an obstacle in her journey to greatness. So, she uses her burqa, which is mostly seen as a symbol of oppression is her tool for freedom and empowerment, to hide her identity and upload videos on youtube. Her popularity spread like fire and soon she is set on her journey to make sure that her passion strives.
But this story is not just about fighting for your passion despite the issues that are thrown at your doorstep, it’s about relationships between family members, first love, innocence, violence, strength and courage. We see the evolution of not only Insia’s music career but also how her relationship with her mother acts as her backbone and eventually gives her the strength to walk out of an abusive relationship. This movie relies heavily on honest storytelling which is reflective in the scene between Insia and Chintan and her very important relationship with her younger brother, Guddu.
Aamir Khan’s character brings out humour and wins hearts with his quirky way of being but Zaira Wasim(Insia) and Meher Vij(Najma) through their rawness and their ability to cultivate happy sonnets from an otherwise oppressive household. This movie sends an important message and does not back off from it’s dripping, brutal honesty.
