BOLLYWOOD FETES DIFFERENTLY ABLED

Protagonists of several recent and upcoming films show their mettle; actors invest in more research

The protagonist of a Hindi film is usually larger than life, and being differently abled is rarely part of that package. But quite a few such lead characters were seen on the big screen in 2017, and some will be seen in 2018 — all of them being played by A-list Bollywood stars. These are not peripheral or comic relief characters; they are central to the story and the actors have invested in a good deal of research as part of their prep.

Shah Rukh Khan’s first look from his much-awaited film, Zero, was released on Monday — he plays a dwarf in the film.

Last year, Hrithik Roshan played a blind man in Kaabil, while Ranbir Kapoor and Kirti Kulhari’s characters stammered in Jagga Jasoos and Indu Sarkar, respectively. We’ll soon see Rani Mukherji in Hichki, as a person with Tourette syndrome, which causes involuntary facial tics and sounds, and Ayushmann Khurrana playing a blind pianist in a yet untitled film.

In Kaabil, Yami Gautam played a blind woman who committed suicide after being raped. This was the trigger for her blind husband (played by Hrithik) to take revenge. She says, “[The role of] Su was extremely challenging. One of the biggest challenges is to unlearn what we’ve perceived about the mannerisms [of the blind]. I worked hard on my body language, but leaving enough space for spontaneity, so as not to look overrehearsed or too mechanical. Leaving the physical disability aside, they are just like you and me, ‘differently abled’, as Hrithik always said.”

Psychologist Pulkit Sharma says, “[Actors] now do the portrayal with much more sensitivity and research, so that’s an encouraging trend.”

Also, the focus has shifted from the superficial to the substantial. For instance, Shahid Kapoor’s shirtless look in Kaminey (2009) was more in the news than how the actor prepared for his double role of twins with different speech impediments — though Shahid did deliver a remarkable performance. In comparison, Hrithik’s portrayal of the hero in Kaabil was less about the physicality and more about capturing the behavioural nuances of a blind person.

Kirti told us earlier, “I started [prepping for Indu Sarkar] by watching videos to understand [stammering]. Then I met a psychologist to understand what kind of issues stammerers have.”

“You need to make it as real as possible,” said Ayushmann in an earlier interview. “I interacted with many [blind or visually impaired] people and went to [special] schools. I also met a visually impaired pianist, and observed how he approached the piano.”

Earlier, such characters were used as comic relief. Today, the ‘weakness’ has become the strong point. ATUL MOHAN, TRADE ANALYST

(Left) Shah Rukh Khan plays a dwarf in Zero, (above) Kirti Kulhari’s character stammered in Indu Sarkar, (below) Hrithik Roshan played a blind man out for revenge in Kaabil and (below left) Ranbir Kapoor in and as Jagga Jasoos, who had a stammer