Garima Sharma, Pune
In mainstream Hindi cinema, there is a common trend of associating disabilities with ridicule, where various types of impairments such as visual, speech, and physical, are used for comedic purposes, often in a cruel manner. An emerging pattern that activists and lawyers hope will cease due to the Supreme Court’s recent groundbreaking decision. Last week, the highest court urged filmmakers to avoid inaccurate portrayals and terms like “crippled” and “spastic” in order to prevent perpetuating discrimination and inequality against differently-abled individuals in cinema.
According to the Founder and CEO of Nipman Foundation, Nipun Malhotra, who initiated the petition resulting in the Supreme Court ruling, humor can play a vital role in conveying messages about disability and raising awareness.
The court had shown its “humane side” and the government should act proactively, said Activist lawyer Gaurav Bansal. A 2019 film, “Mental Hai Kya” starring Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao was renamed as “Judgemental Hai Kya” as Bansal and his associates had earlier filed a petition against it.
There are many examples of movies mocking people with disabilities. The most popular example is Rohit Shetty’s 2006 film “Golmaal” which resulted in a series of movies starring multiple actors. Most of the laughter stemmed from the uncomfortable situations revolving around Lucky, a character portrayed by Tusshar Kapoor who has a speech disability. It also included a blind couple, portrayed by Paresh Rawal and Sushmita Mukherjee, for comedic effect.
Apart from this, some films have increased audience awareness and comprehension of different disabilities through empathetic representations. Similar to Naseeruddin Shah’s portrayal as a visually impaired head of a school in Sparsh. Rajkummar Rao depicts the visually impaired industrialist Srikanth Bolla in the film ‘Srikanth’.
On July 8, the Supreme Court released rules against stereotyping and discriminating against individuals with disabilities in visual media, in response to the ban on the movie, ‘Aaankh Micholi’.
The court has also emphasized the importance of directors, writers, actors, and producers taking up a training program that will focus on sensitizing them to the impact of portrayals on public perceptions. By emphasizing their achievements and everyday experiences, the media has the ability to shift the narrative from limitations to opportunities and empowerment.