Sitaare Zameen Par casting director Tess Joseph on working with Aamir Khan, casting neurodivergent actors: ‘He never imposed himself, rare of someone of his stature to…’ | Bollywood News

Little did Tess know that over a decade later, she’d be roped in as the casting director on RS Prasanna’s coming-of-age sports comedy Sitaare Zameen Par, the spiritual sequel to Taare Zameen Par, also starring Aamir. In an exclusive interview with SCREEN, she opens up on casting the titular, neurodivergent Sitaare for the film, working with Aamir, and how the success of this film could open more doors for the community.

The casting process of Sitaare Zameen Par was quite long. How did you navigate that?

When Prasanna, Aamir, me, and the whole team came together, there was one thing that was really aligned: the intention. When that happens, passion and patience take over. You can have a casting process that’s long, layered, and led with love. If there was really auditioning, it was us. We were being auditioned by all the parents. After we did the workshops, the parents came to us and said, “Now, we trust you. Now, we see our kids blossoming.” So we didn’t really build a cast, we built trust.

What was the common trait that you were looking for in each Sitaara?

We started with an open call for any young, enthusiastic person from the neurodivergent community to send us something that they love performing on. Simran, who plays Golu Khan, sent us her performing the ‘Ek Chutki Sindhoor’ monologue (from the 2007 film Om Shanti Om), Aroush (who plays Satbir) sent us a double character Bollywood scene, Rishabh and Vedant (Raju and Bantu respectively) sent us videos of them dancing, and Rishi (Sharmaji) sent us a mime of playing the keyboard. What started as a trickle went on to become a waterfall of tapes, thousands from across the country.

We were looking for a spark or a personality. We weren’t looking for a character, but just presence. Each actor who came in brought something real and rooted. What united all of them was the joy to perform and try different things. We knew this was a physical film so we needed a certain kind of physicality. But we were never worried about communication because we knew we’d find a way. Their personalities, even their phrases, who they inherently are, have made it to the final cut.

While casting the Sitaare, where all did you look for?

We wrote to institutes, therapists, schools, colleges, and ADAPT (Able Disabled All People Together) across metros and small towns. We also reached out to @bubble.ds, which is a page on Instagram. It was never about geography, but about visibility. So if there was a child in Kerala, Assam, Bihar or Delhi who wanted to be seen, we had to find a way to see them. Gopi (Guddu) is from Kerala, Naman (Hargovind) is from Delhi, and Rishabh is from Bengaluru. It’s a cast that truly represents the country.

How involved was Aamir in the casting process?

Aamir was a part of everything. I love how engaged he was. Most production companies won’t bring a shortlist down to Mumbai. Here’s one that brought in more than who was required to the city so we could do workshops and learn together. He was not only involved, but also present and respectful. He did workshops, saw audition tapes, and gave feedback. What remained the most with me was his trust. He never imposed himself. It’s very rare for someone of his stature to say with so much courage, “Go ahead and cast this authentically, I’m here.”

Tess Joseph

Do you think the success of Sitaare Zameen Par would open more doors for neurodivergent actors in Hindi cinema?

When I watched this film, you realize what representation can do. It’s not just the Sitaare, but all the kids on screen — whether it’s the Nanhe Khiladi, every match, every team — they’re all neurodivergent actors. This is when representation isn’t a checklist, but a responsibility. I do believe it’ll open doors. I’m hopeful, but also watchful because hope has to be followed by habit. We have an audience that’s ready, but the question is, are we ready to tell more stories like this? I see Prasanna and Aamir as lighthouses who’ll really show the way. Sitaare Zameen Par shouldn’t be an exception, but the start of a new standard. When we do something, we should do it with care, time, and authenticity. These should become non-negotiables. Workshopping before we test someone, especially when a community hasn’t had access to learning a craft, that’s truly elevating for equity rather than equality. You put people at the same level-playing field before you make them play.

Dolly Ahulwalia and Brijendra Kala made for such a lovely pair in the film. How did you cast them?

Aren’t they amazing? And aren’t they an unlikely couple to see on screen? When you look at them, they should look like a couple you wouldn’t traditionally see. I love how ‘Sabka Apna Apna Normal’ is explored through all these different characters. We were involved in the casting early on. But I have to tip my hat off to Anmol Ahuja and Casting Bay as we passed on the baton to them and they did such an amazing job that you feel like this is what collaboration should look like. From finding Ashish (Sunil), the one missing piece in the Sitaare, to help cast the secondary and tertiary characters, that’s all Anmol, Aamir, and Prasanna working together.

Like Kareena Kapoor did in Aamir’s Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), Genelia D’Souza also auditioned for her part in Sitaare Zameen Par. Do you think this is a health trend of testing even the established actors for leading parts?

Aamir loves auditioning! This is the truth. He’s always game. This really levels the playing field because this isn’t about hierarchy, but harmony and chemistry. Aamir really believes in the story. When he invites established actors to audition, it gives out a very clear message: we’re all here to serve the story best. He’s very happy to do long auditions. It’s a treat also to see someone talk about how he auditions for every film.

Also Read — Aamir Khan says he was asked to do an action film after Laal Singh Chaddha failure: ‘I had many offers, but story of Sitaare Zameen Par entered my bloodstream’

Many of Aamir’s films have boasted of great child actors, from Darsheel Safary in Taare Zameen Par to Zaira Wasim in Dangal (2016) and Secret Superstar (2017). What is it about his films that makes child actors stand out?

Aamir is a bit of a child himself, in the best way possible. He’s intuitive and curious. He listens more than he reacts. He has a softness when he enters the room. He hugged each and every one of them during our first workshop. He has a sincerity in the way he observes people, especially children. I don’t think he rushes to perform or present something. He really builds everything. Discovery is vital to him, not just in the script, but also in the people around him.

Of all the roles he’s done, the biggest is of him as an eternally learning student. Maybe that’s why children respond to him. They feel seen, not judged. He also surrounds himself with people of similar energy, like Prasanna and a crew that protects the ethos and intention of a film. The children then feel safe. They don’t act, they just become. In his films, they’re not secondary, catalysts, convenient, or for comic relief. They’re the heartbeat and soul of the film.