Taking up the challenge

Films dealing with disabilities — mental as well as physical — are becoming
quite a rage with filmmakers, writes M. L. Dhawan

These are really exciting times for the Hindi cinema. Many directors and filmmakers have helped in evolving a different kind of cinema. With a number of films based on unconventional themes and subjects, especially those dealing with the mentally and physically disturbed, filmmakers are opening up to a subject, which hasn’t been much experimented with before.

R. Balki’s Paa is an emotional drama between a father (Abhishek Bachchan) and son (Amitabh Bachchan). Abhishek Bachchan, who plays a politician in the film, is supported by Vidya Balan as his wife. In the film, Amitabh, the 13-year-old son, is suffering from progeria, a rare generic condition wherein ageing syndromes are seen at a very young age. This makes him look like a 32-year-old. Amitabh’s make-up man, two-time Oscar winner Stephan Dupia from Los Angles, has given him a unique look in the film.

After playing a special child in Koi Mil Gaya, Hrithik Roshan plays a paraplegic in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish. Parapalegia impairs the lower extremities leaving the patient dependent on a wheelchair or complete support during the movements. Hrithik Roshan underwent vigorous training and met several paraplegic patients to understand and portray his character.

Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan explores the ordeal of an individual who is under suspicion after the 9/11 attacks in the USA for being a Muslim. Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, a neural disorder which makes it difficult for him to socialise, besides repetitive patterns of odd behaviour. It is because of his behaviour that he is suspected of being involved in the terrorist attacks. He is able to prove his innocence after a lot of trials.

Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par highlighted the plight of an eight-year-old dyslexic child Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) who is smitten by colours. Nothing in the school goes well for him and finally he is packed off to a boarding school. Here he meets Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan), an unconventional teacher, who realises that the boy is not happy at the school. He sets out to find the reasons for the problem the boy is suffering from. With patience, he brings Ishaan out of his shell and helps him to develop his potential and create his own space.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black had a theme which was similar to his first film Khamoshi-the Musical (1996). In Black, Bhansali presented the touching story of a blind, deaf and dumb girl Michelle with conviction. As a physically challenged girl, Ayesha Kapoor too did a fantastic job. For a role that required Rani Mukherjee to be a deaf, dumb and blind girl, she held her own in her portrayal of a young woman fighting not only own private darkness but also the one surrounding her world.

As Devraj Sahay, Amitabh Bachchan deftly conveyed the helplessness of a teacher who has to teach a blind, deaf and dumb child. The audience empathise with him in his mood swings when he goes wild with frustration when the child fumbles and is full of joy when the child makes the slightest progress. The last scenes where Devraj Sahay is shown afflicted with Alzhemier’s prove that despite his advancing age, Amitabh has not lost his Midas touch.

In Asit Sen’s Khamoshi (1969), Radha (Waheeda Rehman) a nurse in a mental asylum falls in love with her patient (Dharmendra). When after being cured he walks away with a smile, Radha is shattered. History repeats itself with another patient (Rajesh Khanna). After resisting temptation not to get involved with her patient, she finally succumbs. This time she breaks down completely. The last scene where the sobbing head nurse (Lalita Pawar) is shown reading out the numbers of asylum’s inmates to arrive finally at Radha’s number was nerve shattering.

In Satyan Bose’s Raat Aur Din (1967), Nargis expertly played a woman with a split personality. Multiple personality disorder is not something that the audiences often see in films. Nargis’ chilling portrayal brought out the horror of a person suffering from such a malady. Her face changes when from the docile wife Varuna she turns into cabaret dancer Peggy. Her housewife ‘avtar’ suffers from the unease which communicates itself to the audience and mark the sadness in her life during her night romp scenes.

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