Thematic Convergences: Disability

Thematic Convergences: Disability as “special ability”?
The three films reveal a series of thematic convergences, set in the interplay between “nature” and “culture”, in the understanding and negotiation of the experience of disability, as well as, the “personal” and “public” dimensions of the disability experience in patriarchal social settings. The arrival of a child with disability is a life-changing event, especially regarding the general attitude towards disability in particular cultural and social settings, including the opportunities and facilities that society and state make available, all of which structure and condition the family response. Black depicts the utter sense of helplessness experienced by the family when confronted with …show more content…
She has a deep knowledge and unconditional acceptance of her son’s unique personality. This acceptance is revealed by her effort to get him in education, as well as, her joy at his achievements -often at the cost of neglecting her younger son. Her informal teaching methods, using chalk and slate sketches to teach him the difference between “good” and “bad”, emerge out of her own deep understanding and engagement with her child, and would be applauded by Special Educators working with children with autism. The delineation of the relationship between Rizwan and his mother provide perhaps the most moving and believable scenes in the film. The move to a much larger and impersonal context in the U.S.A naturally derails Rizwan for a while. Once again, it is an understanding woman, Rizwan’s sister-in-law, a psychologist, who comes to the rescue and helps him get his bearings. Shifting the locale to a more “open” and heterogeneous society makes the relationship between Rizwan Khan and Mandira plausible. The notion of highly individualized romantic love transcending the barriers of class, religion, and (dis)ability, would probably have been inconceivable in Khan’s hometown. But in America, the possibilities seem endless. Yet, the discrimination and insularity that results in personal tragedy reveal that no society is free from stigmatizing the “other”. Khan’s journey to reclaim the …show more content…
Furthermore, in terms of the typology of disabilities, these films mark a departure: Hindi cinema has dealt with deafness, blindness, and loco-motor disabilities, but rarely focused on the minds and subjectivities that differ from the norm. Disability, in this case, is not perceived as a misfortune, or an accident, but is seen as a mode of being: an intrinsic part of what constitutes experience for the individual. Michelle in Black learns to experience and engage with the world in a qualitatively different way to the norm, and yet, this is a part and parcel of her persona. In an ironic twist of fate, it is ultimately she who attempts to reintegrate her old and disabled Teacher back into the social fold when she finds him alone and abandoned in a care home, thus turning the notion of ‘ability’ on its head. In Taare Zameen Par, the family and community have to be sensitized to the fact that Ishaan has a learning disability that structures his perception and engagement with the world, which cannot be adequately explained by blaming the child for being unfocused, distracted, or spoilt. The critical importance of academic achievement in the contemporary urban milieu makes Ishaan’s difficulty an even greater area of concern. His academic attainments will become the marker of his family’s status