After a gap of 11 years, celebrated animation artist Dhimant Vyas reunited with superstar Aamir Khan for a special project close to both their hearts — the clay animation title sequence of the recently released film Sitaare Zameen Par. Their creative bond, first seen in the iconic Taare Zameen Par, continues to evolve with this soulful collaboration.
“It’s always a pleasure working with Aamir,” shared Dhimant. “Once again, clay animation has found its place in Bollywood, and I feel fortunate to have created the title animation for Taare Zameen Par, and now for Sitaare Zameen Par as well. A big thank you to Aamir and director RS Prasanna. I truly enjoyed creating it!”
The project involved the design and execution of a stop-motion title sequence using clay animation across five languages—Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Urdu and English. Even with a demanding timeline, Dhimant and his team delivered the animation ahead of schedule. “After watching the first cut of the film, I shared multiple storyboard ideas with the team. We decided to stay true to the visual language of TZP and went with clay animation, which beautifully complements the emotional depth of the film,” he explained. What makes the process even more special is the personal involvement of Dhimant’s family.
“My wife Hina and daughter Kavya crafted all the clay models. I handled the animation. It was a small, intimate team—working closely together to bring this vision to life.”
Clay animation, known for its tactile charm and timeless quality, also demands immense patience and precision. One of the most intricate sequences featured a basketball net morphing into 70–80 different shapes—ending in the film’s title. “Some frames took more than 90 minutes to shoot. But that’s the magic of animation—it turns imagination into reality, one frame at a time.” This marks the third collaboration between Dhimant and Aamir Khan.
Their first was the caricature art for the Lagaan collectible DVD, followed by the acclaimed animated title sequence of Taare Zameen Par. Now, more than a decade later, they reunite for a film that is equally heartfelt and visually compelling. “Aamir is a creative genius—he is clear in his vision, yet gives immense freedom to explore ideas. Director RS Prasanna brought great warmth and collaboration to the process. I have deep admiration for both of them,” says Dhimant.
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