Six differently-abled achievers create inspirational video

This one is not your ordinary lockdown video; it has been made by six differently-abled achievers of India.

Prateek

Khandelwal, Manasi Joshi,

Nishtha

Dudeja, Nipun Malhotra, Swarnalatha J and

Virali Modi

decided to do something different during the lockdown and recorded their parts of the video from their homes.

Depicting how specially-abled people are managing their lives during these stressful times, the video is motivating viewers across the country. The group of six danced to the song ‘Gallan Goodiyan’ (from ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’) in the video. Talking about it, Prateek says, “This video shows that despite the challenges one might be facing, it is important that our free-spirited side, the side which knows how to live life and enjoy it, never dies.”

Adds Swarnalatha J, “People call us different names – disabled, differently-abled, physically challenged, divyang, special, etc. In this video, we are showing the world that we are not just special, but ‘limited edition’.”

Nipun says, “COVID-19 and the resultant lockdown have lead to a lot of gloom around the country. While this may be our new reality, I do hope this video makes everyone realise that smiling through it is a choice.”

“We selected ‘Gallan Goodiyan’ because it is a lively song and everyone could dance freely to it,” said Prateek. The thought behind the video is what makes it even more special. The participants say, “It is important to spread positivit because we believe that if we spread happiness, it will come back to us after multiplying manifold.”

What inspired them to make the video
It was Prateek, who came up with the idea of creating a video. He wanted to make one on the lines of ‘Pass the brush challenge’, which was trending on Instagram. Prateek shared the idea with the other five participants and initially, they were not sure whether it would be possible to shoot the video without any professional help. Despite initial apprehensions, the group went ahead and did their own make-up, costume and choreography.

What this initiative means to them
“This initiative means a lot to us. We wanted to spread some good vibes during these tough times. We are happy that we could bring smiles to the faces of people who watched and liked this video on social media. We also wanted to send a message that differently-abled people can also have fun and entertain masses like other people. We wanted to bridge the gap between abled and differently-abled individuals,” said the participants.

What the experience was like...
“It was great fun as everyone used their creativity to make the video entertaining. As no professional help was available, we shot our parts at our homes ourselves and sent it to Prateek for compilation and final editing,” they shared.


Read on to find out more about the differently-abled participants...
Prateek Khandelwal
A paraplegic, with spinal cord injury, Prateek provides physical accessibility solutions in public and private sectors for the differently-abled.

Manasi Joshi
A bike accident in 2011 resulted in her leg being amputated. Manasi is an Indian para badminton champion, who has won several medals internationally.

Nishtha Dudeja
Nishtha is hearing impaired with 100 per cent hearing loss in both the ears since birth. She is also an international level tennis player and a former Judo player with several medals at state and national levels to her credit. Nishtha, Miss deaf Asia 2018 says, "This is a testing time for everyone, we just want to make it less difficult, lively and enjoyable. Everyone is facing difficulties in this trying situation but I believe, positivity is our strength to overcome it. Enjoy life like bhangra along with all its turns and twists, just like me and my friends did."

Swarnalatha J
Affected with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis since 2009, she holds a Diploma in Computer Science and is a post graduate in Hindi
Literature. Swarnalatha has won several awards for her work as a disability rights activist.

Nipun Malhotra
Nipun was born blue, fractured and bleeding. He was diagnosed with a disability called arthrogryposis, which meant that the muscles in his arms and legs were underdeveloped and would stay that way throughout life. He is the founder of a foundation that works in the area of health and advocacy for persons with disabilities and is also an executive director of an automotive fastener manufacturing company in India.

Virali Modi
She is a disability rights activist and motivational speaker. After contracting malaria and getting into a coma, she could no longer walk. She began petition "Implement Disabled Friendly Measures in Indian Railways. Her efforts to make railways more accessible landed several awards.