Boomika, a Tamil horror film (marketed as an eco-horror film), redirects focus on the inaccurate portrayal of people with special abilities in Indian cinema over time. And makes you wonder the effects of such portrayals on popular perception of those with the condition.
*Spoiler ahead* In Boomika, the ghost haunting an isolated colonial property has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She is artistically blessed with the ability to draw and paint like a maestro; that much the film gets right. People on the spectrum tend to have supremely sharp abilities in one or more specific fields. But everything else about her is incorrect, reflecting poor research. Her involuntary movements, exaggerated facial expressions, repetitive tick of the head, and floppy body posture resemble those that have cerebral palsy, also a group of nervous disorders.
Perhaps filmmaker R Rathindran Prasad set out to create positive awareness of autism. But somewhere down the line, flimsy research and dramatic license have compromised this character, making her an incorrect example of a person with ASD. When a film shows physical or behavioural special abilities incorrectly, it creates room for misinformation. Such inaccuracy can further fuel deep-set prejudices against differently abled people or those with behavioural disorders.
Boomika is not the only guilty example here. In Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan, despite grand commercial scale, the Asperger’s syndrome is exaggerated in its physical manifestation. Koi... Mil Gaya has Hrithik Roshan’s character afflicted with ‘a developmental disorder.' And in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black, Rani Mukerji’s character waddles rather than walks, which is factually incorrect for those with her character’s disorder. In Barfi!, filmmaker Anurag Basu has not explained what afflicts Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ character sufficiently, we do not really know if she is autistic or has another nervous disorder.
Taking the easy route out, and playing up a sympathetic or ‘different’ card, while writing such characters, confuses people. It also fails to highlight that such people have highly honed abilities in specific fields, creating space for genius and unmatched excellence.
Those who write films and make these for Indian audiences will highlight the need to dramatise or add touches of heightened emotions to make a person with special abilities more palatable. But is that not pandering to the gallery?
Dr Rashi B Tandon, psychologist and specialist of developmental disorders explains, “Cinema is a platform through which awareness can be spread about developmental difficulties in children. If they were to make movies shedding light empathetically on what are the developmental difficulties, a lot more common people would know how to approach children and their families. ASD, in particular, looks so different in different children that more awareness can be spread about how we as typical people should approach, play, and interact with children and adults with ASD. Overall, I think research into the characters should be extensive. This can help in forming public opinion on developmental disabilities.
Like in Barfi!, though it tried to portray an adult with autism, we need to remember that not all children or adults with autism will have the same characteristics. It would help if TV and films can also have clarity as to why they chose a particular difficulty and what the intention was or the awareness they aimed to spread.
Autism Spectrum Disorder might bring social difficulties but it is not a disability. Drawing from the definition of Autism spectrum disorder by Mayoclinic.org, it refers to a spectrum of wide ranging symptoms that impact a person’s social interactions, perception of human behaviour and communication (with others). It now includes conditions like the Asperger’s syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and different forms of developmental disorders. Floppy body language, uncoordinated physical movements or unusual facial expressions, as shown in the character in Boomika, do not feature in this.
In fact, as Elon Musk recently admitted to having the Asperger’s Syndrome, his public acceptance of ASD brought to the focus many famous people in cinema, art, and innovation that are on the spectrum. To name a few, Dan Ackroyd, Anthony Hopkins, Darryl Hannah, Alan Turing, Andy Warhol, Temple Grandin, and Satoshi Tajiri have admitted to having some form of autism.
While Hollywood and Western cinema and TV cannot be completely absolved of poor portrayal of people with special abilities, some stand out for accuracy and powerful stories. In Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman is identified as autistic. Films like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Jack of the Red Hearts, and The Boy Who Could Fly have focused on autism as it plays out in the real world. From the world of network TV, The Good Doctor is perhaps the best, most thoroughly researched show that focuses on the social difficulties of being a high functioning autistic surgeon. Similarly, despite the criticism it faces for being insensitive, Atypical, also a show on Netflix, goes a mile ahead in dealing with teenage emotions of an autistic person.
We have also had fine examples of Indian films about those with special abilities that have gone a long way in making these challenges more acceptable. Taare Zameen Par is the best example of bringing dyslexia to common discourse, essential because of our typical tendency to force an academic rat race from a young age. Recently, Hichki rode on a ebullient Rani Mukerji to bring focus on the Tourette syndrome, despite a few flaws in fact-checking. And in A Death in the Gunj, a central character that suffers from chronic depression was credible.
More films and web series will benefit from good research, focus on factual accuracy, and sensitivity towards special abilities for actual impact and positive awareness. Otherwise, the proverbial 'other' will continue to stick out like a sore thumb in our films and shows.
Boomika is streaming on Netflix India.
by Archita Kashyap
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