Bollywood's Struggle with Autism Awareness

Since its inception, Hindi cinema has presented mentally deficient characters, either as sympathy seekers or as subtle reminders of powerlessness to the protagonists. Seldom do we come across movies revolving around the life of an indisposed lead and rarely, an autistic one. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social development, communication and repetitive behaviour. On World Autism Awareness Day, celebrated annually on the 2nd of April, BollyCurry decided to acknowledge (and deride) cinematic ventures that silently opened doors to the world of autism.

The idea of an abandoned autistic single father, struggling to independently raise his daughter, is obsolete, yes, but also a box-office dud. Being the official remake of I Am Sam (2001), the film had a fair chance to elaborate a father-daughter bond but the execution fell flat on its face. Ajay Devgn outdid his role, terribly failing to draw a line between mental retardation and autism. Overall, we appreciate writer-director Harry Baweja's intentions but cannot ignore how badly they went wrong.

This Irrfan, Shobana and Anupam Kher starrer film had a blink-and-a-miss run in theatres but was actually an eye-opener. When a discontented couple realize their son is autistic, they resort to a mad scientist's experiment that is believed to cure all mental disorders. As bizarre as it sounds, Apna Asmaan is believed to be a satirical take on the stigmas associated with autism and mental health. The movie received immense international recognition, but sadly failed to strike a chord with audiences at home.

This Dharma Productions' project narrated a soul-stirring tale of a Muslim man suffering from the Asperger's Syndrome, embellished with touching subjects such as communal riots, the 9/11 incident and the hate crimes that followed it.  Shah Rukh Khan's portrayal of a stubborn, loving and sacrificing autistic being is accurate to the core. His character of Rizwan Khan was fragile, unshaken, but also unbelievably intelligent, an important characteristic of autism that is overlooked. If our ratings did matter now, we'd rate My Name Is Khan the maximum we could.

This love story, termed special by the cast and crew, was highly applauded by audiences for the sheer courage and sincerity it radiated. Priyanka Chopra's character of an heiress diagnosed with an autism sub-disorder with severely defunct verbal skills is an unforgettable one. Though her performance received mixed reviews, we believe she deserves collective praises for her countless efforts.

BollyCurry has gone on record criticizing the third instalment in the Dhoom series due to its limping storyline and exasperating repetitions of "Malang". Another disturbing fact is Aamir Khan's depiction of an autistic acrobat, constantly misguided by his revenge-driven twin into committing staged robberies. Autism or a mental disability in general, is shown to be a sign of weakness and dismay. We're disappointed but we're not naive to expect any answers from Yash Raj Films.

Writer: Anushka J.

Editors: Juju K. and Jenifer A.

Graphics: Rifah K.