If Aphasia sounds Greek... Here’s your chance to get educated about lesser-known diseases from these movies

Sheetal

Awareness is the greatest agent of change. — Eckhart Tolle

To spread awareness regarding health one needs to accept and understand the less-talked health issues. On World Health Day, we bring you a round-up of the movies, which are based on health problems and also celebrities who made headlines recently for their health problems.

The headliners

At the Oscars, when Chris Rock made a jibe at Jada Pinkett Smith’s Alopecia with GI Jane joke, the world was divided on what followed next. But something good came out of the unfortunate incident. Tabloids worldwide talked about Alopecia and the struggles of the patients suffering from it.

The 2019 film Gone Kesh (Hair Gone), by director Qasim Khallow, is about an aspiring dancer Enakshi Dasgupta, played by Shweta Tripathi, who is diagnosed with Alopecia.

The Notebook moments

The Grammys witnessed the powerful performance of Lady Gaga but her long-time friend Tony Bennet was missed on stage. The 95-year-old American singer couldn’t perform due to his struggles with Alzheimer’s but he did make a surprise appearance with a pre-taped video to introduce Gaga. From love stories like The Notebook and Fifty First Dates to sci-fi animal thriller, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, Alzheimer’s has been a much-explored health issue. Actor Ajay Singh Chaudhary says, “I got to know about Alzheimer’s disease only after I watched The Notebook. In our country there is not much awareness about the disease. People feel that Alzheimer’s means memory loss, but it is just a part of it. Another misconception is that it only happens to older people. As a celebrity, I feel we can create awareness about this disease by starting a conversation. Since purple colour is associated with this disease, we can have a purple day and put up photos on social media.”

Get educated

And then there are some issues, like celiac disease, infertility, mental disorders, that despite getting space in film scripts still haven’t found an acceptance in society. It makes the recent trolling on Miss Universe Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu’s weight gain not at all surprising. The Chandigarh-born Sandhu is unapologetic about her fight with celiac disease.

Delnaaz Irani, who recently came to know about the disease, says, “Recently, Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu spoke about it and I actually started reading about the condition. I feel that if more celebrities are open about the conditions they battle on a day-to-day basis, it will really bring more awareness.”

Celeb shares

Actress Somy Ali was shattered after she saw Julianne Moore in Still Alice, which is about an early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The actress even went ahead to research about the difference and the correlation between dementia and Alzheimer’s. She says, “A friend of mine from college suffered from Alopecia and has been wearing a wig for years. It made her feel secure and that’s a choice she had every right to make. I also salute Jada Pinkett Smith for not hiding her ailment by wearing a wig. The fact that she openly shares her struggle on social media about having Alopecia is commendable.”

Favourite star

After the news of his favourite Hollywood actor Bruce Willis suffering from Aphasia, which affects the ability to communicate, Anuj Sachdeva read more on the disease. He says, “Depression is a health issue which is often misunderstood.  If not treated at the right time, it can have a severe effect. I feel communication is the first step towards getting help.”

Sharad Malhotra commends R Balki’s Paa which was  based on a boy with a rare genetic condition known as progeria. He says, “I was moved after watching the movie. I wanted to know more so I read about it and learnt it from doctor friends.”

Lesson learnt

Shweta Tripathi played an Alopecia patient in Gone Kesh. It is one of the stories that she has been proud to be a part of. Says Shweta, “When I was offered this role I had no clue about the disease, but once I started doing the film, I got to know that so many people are suffering from it. There’s so much in the world which may not be our reality but is still happening, and I am lucky to be working in a profession that educates you and sensitises you towards human problems and emotions with every new project.”