Enkayaar, Bollywood Trade News Network

On being conferred the Best Child Actor award for his magical role in TAARE ZAMEEN PAR, in Star Awards 2007, the child actor Darsheel Safary in his innocence had quipped that he would like to get this award after getting pitted against the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and he would like to win the Best Actor Award there. His innocuous comment has taken the first step towards conversion into a reality. Darsheel Safary the child wonder has won for himself a nomination in the Best Actor category along with the likes of Shah Rukh Khan in the category Best Actor Award by the Filmfare for 2007. This is an event which has never happened in the history of Hindi films so far that a child actor has stood on his toes to gain height and be at par with his peers who he might have idolized and hero-worshipped till TAARE ZAMEEN PAR happened to him. Aamir Khan must be squealing in delight and so would Shiamak Davar be delirious with his joy that their protegee is going to write a new chapter in history of acting.

It has nowhere happened in the history of cinema that a child actor for his sheer acting prowess has found himself nominated and pitted against his seniors to fight for the coveted award for being the best actor for that year. Even Hollywood has not been that magnanimous enough. Darsheel has an interesting parallel in Justin Henry who was nominated at the age of eight years in the Oscars for his brilliant performance in KRAMER vs. KRAMER, but the difference lies in the fact that nomination of Henry was in Best Supporting Actor category while that of Darsheel has been in the Best Actor. Another parallel that can be traced from Hollywood is that of Judie Foster who playing the role of a prostitute in the film TAXI DRIVER at the age of 14 years was nominated in the Best Actor-Female category. However, the crunch lies in the fact that no male child artist has found a nomination for himself before he has attained age of 10 years to earn a nomination in the Best Actor category.

In the category of supporting actor there are examples of actors being nominated to vie with the seniors, but in the seniors category a child actor getting nominated is a refreshing approach on the part of the jury to set aside the artificial barriers of age being the criteria to be nominated in the category of Best Actor.

At least this year Hindi film industry is not imitating Hollywood but is challenging Hollywood to do the same next year. Star Cast of TAARE ZAMEEN PAR has shown that acting is natural expression of the emotions and this is what has been the catalytic factor in earning a nomination. Probably this would spur Aamir Khan to grace the occasion of awards ceremony, as once Filmfare has nominated Darsheel Safary in the Best Actor Category others would definitely do the same.