Popular Deaf Roles in Bollywood!

Usually it is a disabled person who witnesses a crime in movies, giving the culprits a huge chance to go scott-free. Or they might provide comic relief. No matter what situation, it is the disabled characters have always had a small role in movies. 23rd to 27th September celebrates the International Week of Deaf and BollyCurry presents a list of actors who left a lasting impression in these sensitive roles.

The first mainstream movie which had a deaf character was Koshish where Jaya Badhuri and Sanjeev Kumar played a deaf and mute couple. Directed by Gulzar, the movie is a landmark in Hindi cinema portraying the couple's life, struggle, and tragedy. In short, it was a lesson on how to live life. The couple fall in love, get married, have a child who grows up and marries a girl similar to his parents.

Sanjay Leela Bansali debuted as a director in Khamoshi: The Musical and was highly appreciated by critics. Nana Patekar and Seema Biswas played a deaf mute couple whose children could speak. Nana Patekar played the role of Manisha Koirala's father perfectly, be it the asking his daughter to abort, or the initial dislike of the man in his daughter's life, or the mute speech at the end. Seema Biswas also matched him gracefully and also won the Star Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Rani Mukherjee delivered a fine performance in Black where her character was deaf, mute and blind. Rani was hesitant earlier to portray the role as she was not sure if she could do justice to it. However, she was later convinced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and underwent sign language training at Hellen Keller Institute in Mumbai to prepare for the role. Subsequently, the first half of the movie was adapted from Keller's autobiography. The excellent performance resulted in Rani being the first and only actress to win the Filmfare for both the Best Actress Popular and Best Actress Critic.

Shreyas Talpade career's best role was his first movie as a lead, Iqbal. The film was directed by Nagesh Kuknoor. Shreyas played the role of a deaf and mute cricket-obsessed guy from a remote village who wanted to secure a place in the Indian national cricket squad. He delivered a powerful performance excelling in scenes where he expresses his unhappiness at not being allowed to play and the happiness of when his dreams become reality. The movie won two National Awards and Shreyas also bagged the IIFA and Zee Cine Critics awards for Best Actor.

Ranbir Kapoor played the carefree, happy-go-lucky Barfi in Barfi! who could not hear nor speak but loved to dissolve people's problems away. Surprisingly, Ranbir did not do much preparation for this stellar performance. He simply met people with such challenges and took his methods from there. He also had prior exposure to such people when he was assisting Sanjay Leela Bansali on the sets of Black.


Author: Vibha
Editors: Shreya S. & Jenifer Y.
Graphics: Virina R.