Disability and Cinema

In the words of Jordan Christian, I quote, “People with disabilities do not need to be fixed, they need to be accepted for who they are.”

Monica and Jake who were the stars of the film industry had a lovely baby boy and named him Chris. He was a young boy whose parents from a young age had great expectations from him. He was always pressured by his parents to stand in the first position in whatever he would do. Chris however, could not cope with the other students in his class and as an individual was not doing well in his studies. He was always targeted by the teachers of his class and it was a golden opportunity for the other students to make fun of him.

Soon his parents realized that he had dyslexia, they could not believe it and all their expectations became vague soon after hearing this. They could not consult anyone because they were ashamed if someone from the film industry got to know of it. It would be embarrassing for them as parents.

However soon after when one of Chris’s friend’s mother met him at a party, she understood at a glance that he was dyslexic. She talked to Monica and Jake who were not so understanding and they denied the fact. Neglected by the hands of his own parents who were supposed to be understanding and supportive, the lady started to meet him after school and started some personal lessons with her. She told Chris to inform his parents that he was at her house to play with his friend. After a month or so, he had made impeccable progress in his studies and had also started to show his interest in sports.

Years later, he topped his school examinations for 12th grade and got into Princeton. The cherry on the cake was that he had won a scholarship too and did not need any word from his parents to get into such a wonderful school that everyone always aspires for.

Monica and Jake were really proud of his achievement and asked him how he could make such a drastic change, he then said that the kind lady was helping him to overcome his fears. She then also told the parents that there is nothing to be ashamed of if at all their children or they themselves are dyslexic.

Both Bollywood and the Hollywood film industry have showcased plenty of movies on disabilities. These movies have been portrayed as mentally deficient and ‘comic relief’ but a few notable films have also handled such topics with great sensitivity which has helped people suffering from the same problem to overcome their fear of harassment, and social anxiety and understanding that ‘ it is okay to not be okay as long as you are not giving up’.

The same problem of dyslexia had been showcased in a Bollywood movie, ‘Taare Zameen par’. Great renowned names like Albert Einstein and Agatha Christie also had this problem which they overcame with time. Society must accept such great minds and schools which often categorize them as ‘special children’.

Last but not least, as a common saying goes, “There are no roses without thorns’. One should always believe that one might be disabled and not by dyslexia but other such disabilities too but that person must have other talents which if looked for can be found and of course a wonderful heart.