Disability has been a major issue but not one we’ve cared to address. The first International Film Festival for Persons with Disabilities aims at changing this by bringing together filmmakers and actors (including those who are specially abled) on a common platform with those who suffer from disability and are invariably relegated in society.
“There are about 70 million people with disabilities in India. But the real number is much bigger,” says Jayshree Raveendran, a jury member for the first of its kind festival. Jayshree is hearing impaired but has dedicated herself to the empowerment of people with disabilities through her organisation, Ability Foundation. She wants to create an inclusive pattern for everyone, regardless of their disability.
The unique festival had many disabled people as actors or theatre actors, or those conducting workshops for attendees, including Jayshree Raveendran who is one of the very few among millions with disability who have seen success.
Then there’s Divya Arora. She has cerebral palsy since childhood. But strong will made her push her limits and, today, she is a theatre artiste who directs and acts alongside veteran actors like Tom Alter. After giving a moving performance with Alter in the play Dr Khanna, written by him exclusively for her, Divya talked of the struggles of her condition: “It affects my speech, mobility, etc. The worst part is that it gets worse with time, so I am unable to do now what I could do 10 years back.”
Alter says, it is her stubborn will that keeps her going. With her condition, it difficult to have a voice throw needed for theatre. But her patience and perseverance has paid off and she has reached where she is today, he adds. He also reveals that Divya not only acts and directs, but has also written a screenplay for a romantic movie which she intends to direct.
Alter spoke of a big anomaly in this festival and others too. While provisions are made for disabled viewers to reach the venues, only temporary provisions are made for actors.
“In India, it is unimaginable that a specially-abled person is in the entertainment industry. It is Rani Mukerji or Hrithik Roshan who can be lead actors in films like Black and Guzaarish, not disabled actors. If you see world talent, there are so many people with disabilities, especially composer Beethoven who was deaf and dumb,” Divya says.
One of them is Dr Alim Chandani who is hearing impaired and conducted a workshop on Using Visual Media as a Communication Tool for People with Disabilities. Alim flew all the way from the US. Despite a hearing impairment, he has a doctorate and is a professor at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., the only university in the world for deaf people for liberal arts. He teaches entrepreneurship.
He is lucky because when his parents found out he was deaf, they moved to the US to ensure better education for him. Now he wants to return to India to provide his experience and resources to help uplift deaf people in India. The Government, he says, is trying to provide productive employment for 2.5 million disabled people by 2022. But a lot of work is required at the primary education level. “It would be better if teachers for deaf children are deaf themselves,” he suggests.
Alim says he would move to India right away if he could. But if he gets enough opportunity, he wants to train deaf people so that they are capable enough for white collar jobs or becoming entrepreneurs. He doesn’t want them to be seen working at petrol pumps and gas stations just because they were not given opportunities due to their disability.
With a film festival dedicated to people with disabilities, there definitely seems hope — for better opportunities for the challenged and for better acceptance of them in society.