In the recent years, the camera has unearthed another angle to depict pain, personal psyche and drama. Rockying funnily calls this genre as Dr. Bollywood. Cinema has covered several terminal diseases in recent years which has made the scope of acting broader and have also made the audience aware of the nuances behind such ailments. We are here to present some of the superhit Bollywood films that successfully highlighted the disease and faintly suggested remedies in the form of human understanding, miracles or simple treatments.

KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK (2010)

This film is dark, funny, and mysterious and has a nightmarish quality about it. Karthik records his own voice in telephone recorders and believes in the fact that someone calls him at a particular time in the night. People who suffer from schizophrenia believe in a reality of their own that is equally true as ours. Medical has a proper line of treatment and films such as Karthik Calling Karthik and 15 Park Avenue highlight such troubled thinking that people face. Such films come with a purpose- to not alienate such people and to believe in the fact that mental illness is not something unusual. Medical history has not found any cure for the brain so these films call for a necessary rethinking on our part.

MY NAME IS KHAN (2010)

Viewing any disease and placing it within cinema’s emotional response is a matter of art. Rockying says that is crucial for Dr Bollywood’s sustenance. Unlike typical films based on the motif of love, Shahrukh juxtaposes two ideas perfectly with this film: disease and love. Kajol is a divorcee yet she falls in love with a person suffering from Asperger’s syndrome. Why? The guy has a clean heart and a lot less complicated mind. Such films do show that their world is a lot saner than ours. And we label them as mad and pitiable?

GUZAARISH (2010)

Our industry guru Bhansali’s critically acclaimed film Guzaarish is a film where the hero is tied to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Problem? He is too young to be helpless. Being a successful magician, Hrithitk’s acting has indeed reflected on the painstaking life paraplegic patients lead. The inner turmoil of being physically decapitated and living a furniture-like life is a piercing thought. An unproductive life with a disadvantage of internal conflict- this film is symbolic of a dark, twisted existence and behooves the audience to sit back and think.

PAA (2009)

One of the critically acclaimed finest cinemas depicting progeria, this film has highlighted the perils of the disease. The 65 year old Big Bachchan acted as a 12 year old depicting a physical growth that made him look five times younger than his tender mind. Dr Bollywood rates this film a full 5-star for its portrayal of the disease and its rare medical occurrence. Auro is still a happy child but is all set to battle with death in the tender age of 13. A healthy mind defeated by a weak body this film is a perfect elaboration on a human’s journey from the womb to the tomb.

MY BROTHER NIKHIL (2005)

A film depicting the perils of AIDS is set in the time when people were hardly aware of this disease. The film begins with a disclaimer that “the film is based on true historical fact, and the standard disclaimer about fictitious content was just a compromise with the Indian government to gain permission to make the film”.  Nikhil, a state champion in swimming and a loving son of their parents is thrown out from home and disqualified from his sport right after he is diagnosed HIV positive. With just two friends by his side, his tumultuous death becomes doubly painful for the audience due to realize the lack of empathy and medical knowledge that makes feel the futility of such a hard-hearted existence. Society should and must accommodate diseases like HIV and AIDS because it is a by-product of human conditions and misgivings. Rockying recommends this as one of the best educating films on HIV awareness!

Dr Bollywood is all about over-sized egos, untimely troubles and diseases that affect the normal course of living. Do you have a story to share? We are all ears.

About the Author: An explorer guided by deep sense of intellectual inquiry is something that defines Aditi as a whole. Currently employed with the Branding division of The Mahindra Group, she spans an unconventional career path of 5.7 years. She is well acquainted with the publishing industry, online publishing industry, branding, communication and so forth. She has also helped numerous websites develop search-friendly content.