Sitaare Zameen Par becomes first film in the world to feature all major accessibility features – closed captions, audio description and Indian sign language
In a groundbreaking move for global cinema, Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par has become the first movie in the world to feature all major accessibility features—closed captions, audio description, and Indian Sign Language—ensuring that audiences with visual, hearing, or speech impairments can enjoy the film with dignity and independence. Released on June 20, the film marks a historic moment not just for Indian cinema, but for the global film industry at large. While several international films have offered individual accessibility tools in the past, Sitaare Zameen Par is the first to integrate all three features simultaneously for a theatrical release. The inclusion of Indian Sign Language has been made possible through the XL Cinema app, which allows users to access a real-time ISL interpreter on their mobile devices. By syncing with the film’s audio in theatres, the app ensures a smooth, immersive experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. Closed captions provide on-screen dialogue and sound descriptions, enabling people with hearing impairments to follow both the story and background audio cues. The audio description feature adds a voiceover that narrates visual elements, such as expressions, movements, and settings, thereby making the film accessible to those who are blind or have low vision. "Global first from India! ????????#AamirKhan's #SitaareZameenPar becomes the first film in the world to offer all three accessibility features. This is not just a film release - it's a revolution in inclusive entertainment. A proud moment for India on the global accessibility stage!" pic.twitter.com/4Rl6BmneV3 — Kate Wordy (@KateWordy) July 3, 2025Aamir Khan Productions, in collaboration with disability advocates and the team at XL Cinema, has taken a bold step in setting new industry standards for inclusive entertainment. The effort is being hailed as a model for filmmakers worldwide to embrace accessibility as a default rather than an exception. Directed by RS Prasanna, Sitaare Zameen Par also stars Genelia Deshmukh in a pivotal role along with 10 specially abled youngsters, which include Ashish Pendse, Simran Mangeshkar, Aayush Bhansali, Naman Misra, Gopikrishnan K Verma, Rishi Shahani, Aroush Datta, Rishabh Jain, Samvit Desai and Vedant Sharma. Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Sitaare Zameen Par actor Gurpal Singh on 10 special kids in real life, “They don’t differentiate and provide unconditional love to everyone, they don’t carry the baggage that we do”
In a groundbreaking move for global cinema, Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par has become the first movie in the world to feature all major accessibility features—closed captions, audio description, and Indian Sign Language—ensuring that audiences with visual, hearing, or speech impairments can enjoy the film with dignity and independence.
Released on June 20, the film marks a historic moment not just for Indian cinema, but for the global film industry at large. While several international films have offered individual accessibility tools in the past, Sitaare Zameen Par is the first to integrate all three features simultaneously for a theatrical release. The inclusion of Indian Sign Language has been made possible through the XL Cinema app, which allows users to access a real-time ISL interpreter on their mobile devices. By syncing with the film’s audio in theatres, the app ensures a smooth, immersive experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. Closed captions provide on-screen dialogue and sound descriptions, enabling people with hearing impairments to follow both the story and background audio cues. The audio description feature adds a voiceover that narrates visual elements, such as expressions, movements, and settings, thereby making the film accessible to those who are blind or have low vision.
"Global first from India! ????????#AamirKhan's #SitaareZameenPar becomes the first film in the world to offer all three accessibility features. This is not just a film release - it's a revolution in inclusive entertainment. A proud moment for India on the global accessibility stage!" pic.twitter.com/4Rl6BmneV3 — Kate Wordy (@KateWordy) July 3, 2025
Aamir Khan Productions, in collaboration with disability advocates and the team at XL Cinema, has taken a bold step in setting new industry standards for inclusive entertainment. The effort is being hailed as a model for filmmakers worldwide to embrace accessibility as a default rather than an exception. Directed by RS Prasanna, Sitaare Zameen Par also stars Genelia Deshmukh in a pivotal role along with 10 specially abled youngsters, which include Ashish Pendse, Simran Mangeshkar, Aayush Bhansali, Naman Misra, Gopikrishnan K Verma, Rishi Shahani, Aroush Datta, Rishabh Jain, Samvit Desai and Vedant Sharma. Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Sitaare Zameen Par actor Gurpal Singh on 10 special kids in real life, “They don’t differentiate and provide unconditional love to everyone, they don’t carry the baggage that we do”
What's Your Reaction?
