Representation of disability in Hindi cinema

Abstract

Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky once said “cinema uses life not vice versa”. Disability which is certainly a part of life rarely finds its space in cinema especially in hindi cinema.More often than not Indian cinema particularly the Hindi cinema, in dealing with disability has found itself on the wrong side of the tracks. One does not easily find a film in hindi cinema that deals with disability with the sensitivity and nuance that it requires. Most of the films that do have a “representation” of physically or mentally challenged individuals find themselves soaked in caricature for “comedic purposes” or being shown disability with unsurmountable sympathy almost to the degree of loathsome pity.Through this paper an attempt is to try and establish how these prejudices are projected through the lens in Hindi cinema and how perhaps there's a silver lining after all.