A Taare Zameen Par in real life
31.01.2008
Panaji (PTI): While actor Aamir Khan hogged the arclight and limelight for "Taare Zameen Par", the much-acclaimed movie about dyslexic kids, a Goan painter is quietly helping children afflicted with the learning disability to express their creativity for the last two years.
Aamir garnered accolades for the movie "Taare Zameen Par (TZP)" for sensitive portrayal of a teacher advancing the cause of dyslexic kids, Deviprasad Rao, a young abstract painter, has touched the lives of many such children in Goa, tutoring them for the last two years, allowing ventilation to their creativity through painting.
"Someone told me about the movie and I was so much excited watching it. It was nothing new to me as I have been actively involved with dyslexic kids since August 2005 through an art exploration program", Rao who is associated with Sethu, an NGO working with kids with learning disorders, told PTI.
Drawing yet another similarity between Khan's character in the movie as a teacher who himself suffered from dyslexia in childhood, Rao too conceded of suffering with this problem.
"I was not just dyslexic but also the victim of a pedophile who exploited me for almost three years," Rao said.
Originally hailing from Mangalore (Karnataka), Rao shifted his base to Goa in 2004 and carved a niche for himself as a painter.
"Working with dyslexic children is not an easy job but surely fulfilling because they are more creative than normal children. I pull out their imagination, which they pour on the canvas. It's not just painting. It's a developmental process," he said.
"These children have great potential to become artists, painters, actors. I wish I would have given them more time," Rao, who conducts classes on alternate days, said, adding even other children attend them.
Working from a small flat in Panaji's plush locality, Rao explained how children, who were earlier reluctant to move their fingers manage to move their hand on the paper and canvass after little training.
"I am happy that TZP happened. The movie brought awareness amongst parents and teachers. Now, people come out openly and admit that their child is dyslexic," the 38-year- old painter said.
However, he feels that much more needs to done on this front.
"If any one comes across such issues with their kids they must consult child specialists or experts in dyslexia or approach NGOs working with them in the first place," he said.
"After all innocence has great power. What we need to do is to shower them with compassion, support and encouragement," Rao said.
(Courtesy : Press Trust of India)
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