How Elio and Sitaare Zameen Par 'clash' is kickstarting the 2025 blockbuster summer with a rare treat for kids

Pixar's Elio and Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par are both releasing on June 20, and both are geared for the younger and family audiences.

Many have dubbed this the summer of blockbusters, regardless of the fact that the 'real' summer in India is already departing. But for Indian cinema, summer begins when the Indian Premier League ends, and the big films can finally be released again. In Hollywood, June-August has always been the summer of big releases. And this year, this shared blockbuster summer is getting a kid-friendly beginning in two contrasting yet similar legacy films.

Pixar's Elio and Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par are both releasing on June 20.

Mainstream Hindi cinema for kids

Aamir Khan has not been seen on screen in three years. He has not appeared in a movie marketed at kids and families for over a decade. But Sitaare Zameen Par checks both those boxes. It tells the story of a rather annoying basketball coach who comes of age (a little too late, if you believe me) while training a team of special needs kids. It has everything going for it - a heartwarming concept, a big star, and a buzz that is largely positive.

Films aimed at the younger audiences with big superstars have been rare in Hindi cinema in the last few years. So, for an Aamir Khan to arrive with such a film is indeed good news. What makes Sitaare Zameen Par an inviting watch is that it seems like something that could be enjoyed by a 7-year-old as easily it may be by a 70-year-old. Those films have become rarer among the large-scale Bollywood outings. Add to it the legacy of Taare Zameen Par, and you have a combination of credibility and promise. The all-important question then remains - will it be made well? In the execution lies the fate of this film.

Elio bring refreshing originality

But clearly, the exhibitors and distributors are hoping for an Aamir show on June 20, when Sitaare Zameen Par releases in theatres. That is evident by the fact that no other big release in Hindi is slotted for that day. There is one release, however, in Elio. The Hollywood animated feature is the story of a boy who accidentally becomes Earth's representative in a community of aliens. Coming from the only major Hollywood studio that is not regularly churning out sequels and live-action remakes, Elio brings something that the audiences have been craving - originality.

Like Sitaare Zameen Par, Elio is the story of the underdog. This film is geared towards an even younger audience, using Pixar's USP of heartwarming storytelling with spellbinding visuals. Elio could be the next Inside Out, or even the next Wall-E, people say. But maybe it could just try to be Elio - an original story in a time when everything is a reboot, an adaptation, or the 27th remake of a book that was inspired by a medieval folktale. No matter how well you make those films, it still leads to the same dozen stories floating around in our subconscious. Elio has the power to change that.

It has been far too long since we have had a weekend dedicated to kids and family audiences at the movies. On June 20, Aamir Khan and Pixar do that. Both films may have their fair share of flaws. Sitaare is a remake, which brings me back to my rant about originality. And Elio looks a little too templated Pixar, almost like it was created on PowerPoint. But in the end, even these shortcomings can be glossed over if the films are good. For now, we will take solace in the efforts alone, and hope that on June 20, the execution matches them.

Come July, the adults take over. A spate of releases from Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman and Fantastic Four First Steps to War 2 and Thama back home will bring back the big-scale spectacle of horror, superheroes, slick action, and monsters to the theatres. So let us enjoy this little spark of innocence that precedes the madness.