From Bollywood, with sensitivity

The portrayal of the handicapped in Hindi films is getting increasingly nuanced

What is the image that comes to mind when you think of a person with disability? If we were to go by general Bollywood fare, it would be one of a poor beggar with deformed limbs, a complete buffoon, or a malevolent villain with a limp. Take some of the characters in Salaam Bombay, or those played by Kader Khan or Shakti Kapoor in David Dhawan8217;s films or, more recently, 8216;Langda8217; Tyagi of Omkara. Physically or mentally challenged, they are made into subjects of pity, or objects of fun or horror. The issue is a serious one if we consider that there are at least 70 million Indians who are disabled and that movies play a crucial role in shaping society8217;s attitudes towards them.

There have been some movies that have dealt with disability sensitively. Dosti, Koshish, Sadma, Anjali, Black, Khamoshi, Iqbal, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, Koi Mil Gaya, Kabhie Alvida Naa Kehnaa KANK have tried to go beyond stereotyping. Yet we get just a handful of them. The gap between the old Dosti 1964 and Koshish 1972, two significant movies with disabled characters as protagonists, is an embarrassing eight years!

But one can perceive significant attitudinal change. Films like Dosti and Koshish sentimentalised disability. Perhaps it was in keeping with the times which revelled in melodrama. Movies started changing in the 8217;80s and 8217;90s, with the opening up of the economy and the coming of satellite television. Two movies of import from this period were Sadma and Anjali. One could say Anjali heralded the attitude of treating a person with disability like a normal human being, rather than as a demi-god or devil.

However, it is in the new millennium that Bollywood has made major strides with a spate of disability-based movies 8212; Khamoshi and Black by Sanjay Bhansali, Iqbal, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, Koi Mil Gaya and KANK. Purely commercial, top-league directors are making them. With Black, Bhansali has brought Bollywood in line with Hollywood8217;s classics like My Left Foot and Ray. In KANK, Karan Johar portrayed Shahrukh Khan as a handicapped person and did it so effortlessly. Because of an accident, he is rendered handicapped. He walks with a slight limp, but his life chances get delimited and he becomes a different person altogether.

The present trend is welcome. Although crass portrayals continue 8212; films like Deewane Huey Paagal and Golmaal are examples 8212; filmmakers are increasingly realising that being insensitive to the handicapped is to be out of touch with the changed times. A welcome realisation indeed.