Aamir Khan’s upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par has stirred controversy just days after the trailer was released. While some viewers welcomed the glimpse into the emotional sports drama, many on social media accused the film of being a near replica of the 2023 Hollywood movie Champions, which itself was based on a Spanish original.
In Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir plays a disgraced basketball coach who, following a legal setback, is assigned to coach a team of players with autism as part of his court-ordered community service. The story is presented as a heartwarming journey of redemption, highlighting inclusion and transformation. Genelia Deshmukh stars opposite Aamir, bringing a romantic angle to the narrative.
However, social media users were quick to draw comparisons between the trailer and Champions, pointing out that several scenes and the broader plot structure appeared identical. Some even dubbed the film “copy-paste cinema,” prompting calls for a boycott.
Comments across platforms like X (formerly Twitter) included statements like, “The trailer of Sitaare Zameen Par feels like a frame-by-frame recreation of Champions,” and “Watch Champions instead—at least it’s the original.”
This controversy has reignited ongoing debates around originality in Bollywood. Although Aamir’s production company has not officially commented, the film is listed on IMDb and Wikipedia as being adapted from the same Spanish film that inspired Champions.
As anticipation builds for the release, the question remains: is Sitaare Zameen Par an inspired adaptation meant for Indian audiences—or just another uncredited remake?
