Aamir Khan opens up about son Junaid Khan’s dyslexia

Eighteen years after Taare Zameen Par reshaped the national conversation on learning disabilities, Aamir Khan has revealed a personal connection to the film that had, until now, remained unspoken.

In a moment of vulnerability at a recent fan event, Aamir Khan, known for his perfectionism and privacy, shared publicly for the first time that his eldest son, actor Junaid Khan, is dyslexic.

“I’ve never said this before,” Aamir told a packed audience. “But now I can. Junaid is dyslexic. When I read the script of Taare Zameen Par, it hit me so hard because I had lived it. It was our story.”

Released in 2007, Taare Zameen Par broke cinematic ground for its sensitive portrayal of a young boy struggling with dyslexia in a rigid school system.

It was one of Indian cinema’s first mainstream attempts to spotlight neurodivergence, not through a lens of pity or inspiration, but with empathy, artistic depth, and psychological realism.

At the time, the film was widely lauded for Aamir Khan‘s dual role as director and mentor-figure onscreen. What the public didn’t know then was that off-screen, Aamir was living a similar reality as a father.

“I used to scold Junaid,” he admitted. “He would write so badly. I would say, ‘What is this? You can’t even write an A?’ He would confuse words like ‘for,’ ‘from,’ and ‘of.’ I didn’t understand what was happening.”

It was only after a formal diagnosis that things began to make sense.

“When we found out he had dyslexia, we were able to support him the right way. But that journey... it stayed with me,” Aamir shared.

Junaid Khan, now in his early thirties, has made his foray into acting and theatre.

In an interview this year, he acknowledged his diagnosis: “I was diagnosed with dyslexia very early on. My parents never pressured me about results. They were mindful of my needs, especially during school.”

His remarks point to something many children with learning disabilities don’t get in India: a household that chooses understanding over punishment.

From taare to sitaare: A new chapter for disability representation

The timing of this revelation is significant.

Aamir Khan is currently preparing for the release of Sitaare Zameen Par, a spiritual successor to Taare Zameen Par.

But this time, the film doesn‘t focus on a single child’s story; it features 10 disabled actors in lead roles, marking a landmark moment for disability inclusion in Indian mainstream cinema.

While Junaid is not part of the cast, the story feels deeply intergenerational.

From a father learning to understand his son, to a filmmaker learning to expand the canvas for disability representation, this is truly a cultural pivot.

Why this matters now

In a country where neurodivergence is still widely misunderstood and learning disabilities are dismissed as laziness, Aamir and Junaid‘s openness signals a shift. It reminds us that neurodiversity is a reality for millions.

And when stories are led by lived experience, they entertain, educate, and build empathy. They rewrite how we understand difference, in families, classrooms, and cinema halls.

Who are your parenting role models? Tell us in the comments.