Critics praise Aamir Khan’s Secret Superstar for its rebellion against patriarchy

It's no secret that audiences the world over expect a lot from Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan. And so is the case with Aamir's Diwali release Secret Superstar, which will be hitting the theatres worldwide October 19 (tomorrow).

Khan, 52, plays a sleazy music producer in Secret Superstar and is in second lead to teenager Zaira Wasim, playing a schoolgirl named Insia Malik from a small town who defies her conservative Muslim family to pursue her dream of a singing career.

The judgements from the pre-release screenings are in and here's what critics have to say about it:

Teen actor Zaira Wasim is the secret

We were trying to steer clear from spoilers but the critics made it a point everybody knows the 16-year-old actress, quite literally, steals the show.

"The biggest strength of Secret Superstar is the wonderful Wasim... it is such a delight to see a 15-year-old look and feel like a 15 year old, and not a painted doll," writes Shubhra Gupta for The Indian Express.

Writing for NDTV, Saibal Chatterjee, says, if after "nit-picking", the film as a whole doesn't steal your heart, "the magnificent Zaira Wasim certainly will".

Insia's struggle for smashing patriarchy feels too real

Throughout the reviews, the biggest take-away has been this: the mother-daughter bond can take down the patriarchal structure, many times inadvertently perpetrated by the women of the family.

Najma, Insia's mother, played by Meher Vij, is a typical submissive yet supportive mother of a middle-class, conservative Muslim household. She is trapped in an unhappy marriage and is financially dependent on her abusive husband ─ which makes it all the more difficult to smash the chains of patriarchy for married South Asian women and mothers.

"Mujhse maang lena, zindagi se nahin, (Ask from me, but not from life)," Insia's mother Najma (played by Meher Vij) tells her when Insia "expresses a desire for something that appears to be beyond the ken of the possible". But Insia rebels.

The 15-year-old girl fuels her battered mother into declaring mutiny and argues for divorce, a taboo in most Muslim households. Other characters also chime in support of Insia's stand on the issue of domestic violence ─ an attempt from debutant director Advait Chandan who sews divorce as a logical recourse for women stuck in abusive marriages.

Aamir Khan doesn't fight for spotlight, which was wonderful

All critics seem to agree on this ─ Aamir Khan's presence is felt but doesn't overpower the female protagonist.

"This is typical of Aamir Khan: he does not hog the spotlight though he does dominate many a scene with his flashy clothes and the to-hell-with-you demeanour," wrote Chatterjee.

Through Aamir's character Shakti Kumaarr, "the film takes good-humoured swipes at the ways of the music industry, award shows and the entertainment media... but the film never loses sight of its principal purpose: lending heft and height to a daughter's derring-do and a mom's mutiny," he adds.

Second half robs the film of being superlative

Gupta is all praises for the movie, but till the first half. "In the build-up, there is a refreshing absence of gimmicks, and diversions. Post-interval, it dips, and the result is a film which stops short of being superlative," the critic said, giving the movie a 2.5 rating out of 5.

"After a point, it starts feeling stretched," she said. Yup, nobody likes that.

"If there is one thing that can be blamed for it, it’s the overt melodrama," Rohit Vats said in Hindustan Times. "Imagine the same film without Aamir Khan and you’ll realise how Shakti Kumaarr has overpowered the real Secret Superstar and hence the theme of the film."

Perhaps, the storyline could have been improved. Parts that started to feel like a drag could have been overcome if the "drastic change of temperament" had been developed, Vats pointed out.

"For example, Najma’s sudden change in stance appears forced," he said. It felt rushed, which doesn't do justice to the length of the film as it is 150 minutes long.

With its drama, comedy and purpose, Secret Superstar seems to be a winner

The film doesn't use the typical Bollywood props like the burka to depict a Muslim household. "No conventional signifiers (used) to underscore the religious identity of the Malik family," writes Chatterjee, something the Pakistani audience might find refreshing. "Secret Superstar is a winner notwithstanding the bumps along the way," he adds.

"Fortunately for the film, and us, we are left with young Insia and her shining face, a beacon of hope for herself and girls in her situation," Gupta wrote in her review, though she liked Zaira's performance better than the film.

"Secret Superstar is a winner notwithstanding the bumps along the way," Chatterjee said.

"Secret Superstar will still make you laugh and cry with ease. Show some appetite for drama and you have an entertainer at your service," Vats added.

Meena Iyer of Times of India concludes: "If you world revolves around your mother, you're going to root for this film. Go for it girls."