Junaid Khan opened up about being diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age. The actor, who made his debut last year with Maharaj, revealed that he was diagnosed with dyslexia around the age of six.
In an interview with Vickey Lalwani, he also shared how his parents, Aamir Khan, and Reena Dutta, discovered it during a reading session of the script for Taare Zameen Par.
During the interview, Junaid shared, “Neither of my parents were particular (about my results)… I was also diagnosed with dyslexia very early on. So, I think they were mindful of that, especially in schooling.”
When the host asked if this revelation influenced Aamir’s decision to make Taare Zameen Par, Junaid explained that it was the other way around. For those unfamiliar, Taare Zameen Par tells the story of an 8-year-old boy, Ishaan Awasthi (played by Darsheel Safary), who struggles with focusing on his studies and faces challenges at school. Aamir portrayed a compassionate teacher who recognizes and nurtures Ishaan’s hidden talent.
Junaid added, “Actually I think it was a little bit the other way around. When they heard the script of Taare Zameen Par, they were like, ‘Ek second… We have seen this in our lives’. And, it was at that point that they took me to a specialist, and I was diagnosed with dyslexia.”
In October last year, Aamir announced a sequel to Taare Zameen Par, Sitaare Zameen Par. It will star Aamir, and Genelia Deshmukh in the lead roles. RS Prasanna directs the sequel, which is based on the 2018 Spanish film Champions.
Junaid will next be seen sharing the screen with Sridevi’s daughter, Khushi Kapoor, in Loveyapa, slated to release on February 7. He will also be seen in a film with Sai Pallavi later this year.
