Shahid Kapur's role as teacher in upcoming film Paathshaala is very different from Aamir Khans in Taare Zameen Par, says choreographer-turned-producer Ahmed Khan.

There is no similarity between Shahid's role in the film and Aamir's character in Taare Zameen Par. In his film, Aamir was dealing with one child who was dyslexic, but Shahid deals with many kids and basically with the whole education system in Paathshaala, Khan told IANS.

Paathshaala, directed by Milind Ukey, is Khans production debut and revolves around a group of troubled young students. And Shahid has not charged any fee.

Shahid and I are very good friends. We share a great rapport. When I told him about the film, he said he wanted to be a part of it even though the role wasn't long enough. He treats my wife like his sister; so as a goodwill gesture he decided not to charge any money for the role, Khan said.

Along with Shahid, the film also stars Nana Patekar and Ayesha Takia in pivotal roles. Child actors Swini Khara, Dwij Yadav, Ali Haji and Balika Vadhu star Avika Gor are also part of the cast.

Paathshaala is primarily a childrens film, said Khan, adding that working with children was a great experience.
Shooting with these kids was not difficult at all since they are natural actors and thorough professionals. Shooting with them was a great experience as I never thought that children could be such serious actors, said Khan, who was in the capital for the Nickelodeon channels Nick Toon Jockey Hunt.
Khan, known for his choreography in films like Rangeela, Ghulam, Taal, Salaam Namaste and Jab We Met, has tried his hand at direction as well. He wielded the megaphone for Lakeer and Fool N Final, but both the ventures bombed.

However, he is optimistic about Paathshaala, saying it is very appealing.
Paathshaala will touch everyone who has children and even those who don't. It is a film that deals with a grave issue and I'm sure people will relate to it. It is very appealing, he said.