In the last week, we saw the state of disabled people and their conditions in Bollywood. Bollywood is an industry where making your name is already a challenging feat. As an aspiring with a disability, it becomes testing to bag a trusting job in Bollywood. Known for its unpredictable and risky job stigma, Bollywood became a place where most people with networks make it easily. Despite India being home to over 26 million people with disabilities (According to the 2011 census), people with employment in Bollywood are scarce. The portrayal and treatment of disabled individuals in Bollywood has been a contentious issue, reflecting border societal attitudes and systemic problems. To resolve any social issue, it is important to understand exactly what are the issues faced by people with Disabilities. This is Foramz and today we will discuss the issues with the handicapped or specially abled in Bollywood. Typical Sympathy portrayal. If you notice, disabled characters are often depicted as objects of pity, charity, or inspiration which reinforces harmful stereotypes. Society is largely influenced by cinema, hence, we end up forming their image as people who need pity or charity. Are they not capable of achieving complex feats apart from their disabilities? Absolutely no. People with disabilities are prone to have more willpower and dedication. Films like Black and Paa revolve around disabilities but are often romanticized or exaggerated to create dramatic effects. Lack of Authentic Representation. Behind the scenes, the film industry remains inaccessible to disabled professionals due to infrastructural, cultural, and attitudinal barriers. Imagine, not being able to find a job because you faced an unfortunate accident. t a feeling of utter helplessness. Despite that, people with disabilities rise from their physical flaws and dare to soar but practical difficulties come in their way. The film Industry remains a space where opportunities are plenty but grabbing them is a challenging task. There are limited opportunities for disabled actors, writers, directors, or crew members. After waiting in line for hours, calling and pitching countless times, there are instances that the filmmakers do not prioritize people with disability regardless of their talent. They have a mindset that it is taxing to work with people with such disabilities. It is important to notice that they deserve a chance too. It is not only about chance, it is about the life and future of an individual. Insensitive Humour Bollywood is incomplete without comedy movies, but there are times when the jokes become insensitive and normalized behind an ethically faulty dogma. For instance, in Housefull 3, the male protagonist is faking various disabilities such as blindness, muteness, and paralysis to gain sympathy and manipulate others. This creates a slapstick comedy out of conditions faced in real life. Such portrayal makes the audience believe that people with disabilities are people who crave sympathy instead of empowerment. This insensitivity towards disability not only normalizes ridicule but also undermines efforts to foster respect and understanding towards disabled communities. It is simple, imagine a person giving you words of sympathy, like it’s okay or you will be fine when you are completely fine. It will make you question yourself whether you are fine or not. The same is true in this case, Disabled communities do not need sympathy because they have accepted their condition. Inaccurate Storytelling Disablities are often poorly researched and misrepresented which leads to misconceptions in people’s minds. Thereby forming a different perception of them and treating them accordingly which is far from reality. For instance, mental health conditions are sometimes dramatized in ways that are not completely true or lack information. This stigmatizes those who experience them. The issues lie in perception. If the way society thinks of them does not change, their issues will never be completely resolved. It is important to see them as they are without forming assumptions about their condition. Prejudice and Discrimination Casting directors and Filmmakers may hold biases believing disabled people might not be capable of fulfilling roles or demanding higher accommodations. Many in the industry prioritize physical perfection and conventional beauty standards which marginalize disabled artists. It is important to acknowledge their talent. Society expects picture-perfect handsome and beautiful actors on-screen which creates unseen expectations for the filmmakers. This results in limited opportunities for disabled people to make it on-screen. Behind the Camera Scenes Jobs like direction, editing, scriptwriting, and production often require long hours of work and are physically demanding work environments. This factor may not be welcoming disabled professionals. The lack of mentorship programs or training initiatives adds up to the issue. Even disabled professionals need training and the right guidance to thrive as much as a healthy-bodies professional needs. Behind the camera, jobs have more people in line. hence, the competition is fierce but there are instances where disabled professionals don’t get a chance to show their skills. Economic Instability Bollywood is a highly competitive and informal market where networking and connections secure jobs and opportunities. Connections and networking often outweigh merit and talent. Disabled individuals lack access to these connections and networks further reducing their chances to reach their professional goals. Studios may perceive accommodations as an additional expense which discourages them from hiring disabled professionals. The issue lies in the roots of the people’s perception. To foster inclusivity and equal opportunities for everyone it is essential to understand disabled individuals. It is important to not judge on their disabilities and to have an open mind while hiring. In the next week, we will look at real-life examples of people with disabilities and how they face struggles and rise with immense willpower. Keep Reading Foramz for your daily dose of moral support.
Written by Mira
Bollywood is also known as a destination where dreams are created. The glamorous world has tremendous opportunities to offer from fame, and power to a creative platform for expression, it is all an individual could ever dream about. But are these opportunities accessible to everyone in the country? This is Foramz and today we will talk about how Physically disabled people struggle for an opportunity in the so-called hub of dreams- Bollywood. While there has been a gradual shift of the dreamland towards inclusiveness and diverse representation in cinema, the opportunities for people with disabilities remain limited as these passionate and determined individuals live in the hope of a better future. This disparity stems from societal prejudices, lack of infrastructure,, and stereotypes in storytelling. Bollywood as an industry is widely versatile and have varied job profiles available. Despite such a large vacancies, people who are handicapped yet talented fail to get the opportunity that they deserve. Call it biased society or the authorities mindset of underestimating the talent, it is a social issue which ruins talent and lives. Mumbai the city of dreams, promises hope, fame and money to all but the one who had the courage to leave their hometowns, families and make a career in the city that never sleeps now know why the city never sleeps. It is because the city keeps the dreamers awake, awake until it is dawn and have to work again, awake in thoughts of survival, awake in the memories of their families, awake in the worry of an unmarried sister, awake in the stress of getting the role, awake in striving for that position, awake in proving their worth. People privileged with their healthy bodies do strive but people with physical liabilities have to strive harder. People who don’t have a prosthetic leg work hard but people with a prosthetic leg face issues in walking hard. The difference is that they face great hurdles in performing day to day tasks with ease. Bollywood is well known as a place uninviting for outsiders. People with contacts and networking can get opputunities but people who become handicapped in a tragic incident do not have contacts. Does that mean that they will live a life full of false hopes and sympathies ? Obviously No ! Such people do lose an ability but have mental strength like any other. Their will power is strong but no one can survive in Bolywood only on will. Albeit portrayed by a non-disabled actors, films have been released which depict the struggles of disabled individuals. Advocacy groups and disabilty rights activists push for more inclusivity in casting, scriptwriting and production. Yet the progess remains slow and sporadic which reefelcts socety’s attitides towards disability. Behind the scenes, the hurdles are no less daunting. Basic amenities like wheelchair access, assistive technologies, and supportive work environments are often absent, making it harder for disabled individuals to fully participate in the industry. Lets assume somehow they do get a meaningful opputunity but later, they are bound to face widespread stigma and are often typecast or sidelined, without opputunities to meaningful roles or opputunities. To transform the state of handicapped individuals in Bollywood, systemic reforms are essential. These include proactive casting of disabled actors, making production environments more accessible, and challenging stereotypes through thoughtful and accurate storytelling. Only then can Bollywood become a truly inclusive industry that values talent and creativity over physical abilities Societal attitude towards disabilities compound a problem. There is a perception that individuals with disabilities are less capable of performing more demanding tasks associated with fimlmaking, whteehr on screeen or behinf the camera. This misconception has pushed the opputunities in another direction leaving such talented people without a chance to prove them. All they need is a chance to prove themselves Furthermore, societal attitudes compound the problem. There is a perception that individuals with disabilities are less capable of performing the demanding tasks associated with filmmaking, whether on screen or behind the camera. This misconception fosters an environment where handicapped individuals are overlooked or underestimated, irrespective of their skills or qualifications. This was a glimpse in the life of people with disabilities and their struggles to make it in the bollywood industry. Next time we will be discussing depth about how these struggles are a part of a larger social issue. Keep Reading Foramz for you daily dose of moral support.