Aamir Khan’s upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par is under scrutiny as fans accuse it of being a near frame-by-frame remake of the English-language film Champions, which itself is based on the Spanish hit Campeones. Shortly after the trailer’s release, netizens pointed out uncanny similarities in scenes and gags, prompting criticism across social media platforms like Reddit.
Champions, available on JioCinema, tells the story of a disgraced coach who finds redemption by training a basketball team of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The premise of Sitaare Zameen Par closely mirrors this, with Aamir playing a short-tempered coach guiding a similar team in India. Viewers even uploaded side-by-side comparisons of scenes from both trailers, questioning the originality of Aamir’s project.
दो साल पुराना हॉलीवुड सिनेमा ही हिन्दी में बना दिया ! ओटीटी के जमाने में इन्हे क्यों लगता है कि भारत के दर्शक ने कुछ देखा नहीं है?#SitaareZameenPar pic.twitter.com/1PiTJcpQc8
— Mukesh Mathur (@mukesh1275) May 13, 2025
Social Media Reacts Strongly
Critics online didn’t hold back. “After the Forrest Gump fiasco (Laal Singh Chaddha), he should’ve avoided more remakes,” said one user. Another remarked, “Even the tubelight gag is copied. I was hoping Aamir would add some spin, but this is a scene-for-scene copy.” The backlash draws parallels with past criticism Aamir faced for overly faithful adaptations of popular films.
Nation first.
Boycott #SitaareZameenPar & Bollywood.#BoycottBollywood #SitaareZameenPar #radiation #CeasefireNow #pzchat pic.twitter.com/keuyWLnyxi
— शक्ती ♡ (@_iamshakti) May 13, 2025
Also Read: Aamir Khan’s New Role: Basketball Coach to 10 Wild Kids in Sitaare Zameen Par
Introducing Fresh Faces in an Emotional Tale
Despite the controversy, the film has generated excitement for introducing 10 debutant actors playing the special team members. The cast includes Genelia Deshmukh and is helmed by director R.S. Prasanna. The trailer promises a blend of humor, heart, and emotional storytelling.
The makers describe Sitaare Zameen Par as “an inspiring journey of 1 Tingu Coach and 10 Toofani Sitaare.” However, with the adaptation debate intensifying, only time will tell if audiences accept it as a heartfelt tribute or reject it as an uninspired remake.
