Mind it!

Mad. Slow. Hysterical.
That was how Bollywood used to portray characters diagnosed with mental disorders. Now, actors such as Anil Kapoor (who plays a man diagnosed with autism in Yuvvraaj) and Shah Rukh Khan (who���ll play an autistic character in the upcoming My Name Is Khan) are willing to take up such roles. But is Bollywood able to tackle such films in a sensitive manner?
Director-producer Harry Baweja, whose Ajay Devgan-starrer Main Aisa Hi Hoon revolved around a mentally handicapped man, says a lot of research goes into such subjects.���I went to a psychiatric institution where I thoroughly studied the patients. One of the complexities of mentally challenged people is that you never know how they���ll react. So, it becomes essential to learn their mannerisms and behaviour to come up with a good script,��� he says.
Harry adds that Indian actors are now more willing to experiment and are playing characters with mental disorders. ���Earlier, actors hesitated to play character roles and would rather cater to the audience and play themselves. But that���s not the case now,��� he says.
���Performance-wise, Bollywood is no less than Hollywood. We���ve no dearth of talented actors who can do justice to the portrayal of a mentally challenged person,��� says trade analyst Kumar Mohan. ���What���s lacking is proper technical skills. We���re not equipped and don���t have enough specialists. Scripts are written mostly keeping in mind the Indian audience, which is more used to emotional portrayals rather than something concrete. So, a little dramatisation comes into the picture. But with younger actors and directors, we���re improving and reaching Hollywood standards,��� says Kumar.
However, Hollywood portrayals of the subject aren���t always the best to go by, adds Dr Prabhu. ���The Academy Award-winning One Flew Over the Cuckoo���s Nest incorrectly illustrated the manner in which psychiatrists work with patients. Also, most films don���t portray the genuineness of a disorder; mentally ill people are shown as deranged or dangerous. Psychological disorders are treatable and this must be conveyed,��� he explains.
But Dr Prabhu commends the way Taare Zameen Par tackled the subject of dyslexia. ���It beautifully captured the condition, and showed it can be cured and the sufferer can be rehabilitated back into society,��� he says.
Associate professor of psychiatry, NIMHANS, Dr Vivek Benegal, feels there���s a stigma attached to mental disorders because there���s limited knowledge about them. ���So, people suffering from mental disorders hesitate to seek help. The media has a major impact on people and when such disorders are wrongly portrayed on screen, it worsens the circumstance for mentally challenged people.
Bhool Bhulaiyya depicted dissociative identity disorder in a very insensitive manner and conveyed the message that the affected character was mad. A movie like TZP, however, inspired people to take mental disorders such as dyslexia seriously and openly seek professional help,��� points out Dr Benegal.