Are films finally getting the depiction of neurodivergence right?

Mint

14 hours ago

For far too long now, global cinema has depicted neurodiverse people either as tragic sufferers or as super talents. Take, for instance, The Good Doctor, in which Dr Shaun Murphy, a surgical resident with autism, is known for his near-photographic memory. Then there is Extraordinary Attorney Woo, an acclaimed Korean series, in which a young lawyer on the autism spectrum shines for her brilliant and creative problem-solving abilities.
Mugdha Kalra, a mother to a neurodivergent child and co-founder, Not That Different—a platform that builds awareness and pushes for systemic change around autism, invisible disabilities and support systems for families—finds these portrayals problematic. 'These affect the way society or parents are looking at their children. They are either perceived as figures of pity, or parents start looking for super talents in their kids, which is a huge disservice to the child," she says.
According to research by consultancy and auditing firm Deloitte, between 10-20% of the global population falls on the neurodivergent spectrum. A recent report by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) states that 2 million Indians are neurodivergent. 'When you have lakhs of people on the spectrum, then there are lakhs of possible on-screen characters. No two trait sets are identical. There is great potential to create characters, which are nuanced, varied and layered, and to present them with dignity," adds Kalra. Why not look at real-life examples and make space for everyday realities such as time blindness, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) loops or fidgety stims?
A positive shift which has taken place in the last five years is that neurodivergent characters are being essayed by actors, who themselves are on the spectrum. They bring their lived reality to the roles, adding authenticity to the portrayals. Abuli Mamaji, who has Down Syndrome, played one of the leads in Nikhil Pherwani's Ahaan (2019), a film about a man with OCD finding a sense of camaraderie in a young man on the spectrum.
In the UK, an experimental feature, The Stimming Pool (2024), has been co-created by a collective of autistic artists, the Neurocultures Collective, and filmmaker Steven Eastwood, 'who invite you into a neurodiverse world within the undulating logic of neurotypical environments". In an interview to The Guardian in March this year, Georgia Kumari Bradburn, one of the directors, said: 'It was never about us having a duty to explain who we are or what we are doing to other people. This is just the way we exist. It's a different way of existing." And now there is Sitaare Zameen Par, the official remake of the 2018 Spanish film, Champions, which stars 10 lead actors on the spectrum.
Inclusion activists don't advocate for adding a protagonist on the spectrum just for tokenism. Rather, they would prefer if the neurodivergence was built into the script in a matterof-fact way, which normalises being on the spectrum. Imagine a hospital drama in which a nurse needs instructions in writing, or a junior lawyer in a courtroom series, who struggles with eye contact.'There are micro traits of neurodiversity, which can be shown as coexisting with neurotypicality. None of these need to be portrayed at a dramatic level. Their presence alone will tell the audience that neurodivergence can exist in all possible situations and not just in special issue episodes," elaborates Kalra.
While the depiction of neurodivergence on screen is changing, people hope for a more layered and in-depth depiction of the caregivers as well. And that's where Anu Singh Choudhary's Selfie, Please, stands out. The 22-minute short film presents a vignette from the life of a family comprising a set of neurotypical and neurodivergent siblings—Anjali and Ananya, respectively.
There is a particularly poignant scene where Anjali, an Odissi dancer, reminds her father that he owes her a prize for her exceptional performance. He hands her ₹500, while also giving the same amount to her elder sister, Ananya, who has Down Syndrome. As Anjali's face falls—this was to be her accomplishment alone—her mother reminds her of an earlier promise that everything would be split equally between the two sisters. Anjali storms off, and you can sense the seething discontent—she craves for her mother's attention and resents her sister for being the constant recipient of it. The scene also offers you an insight into the life of a mother, (played by Sarika Singh), who is torn between the two sisters day in and day out.
In 22 minutes, Anu brings out the family dynamics to the fore, including the conflict between the parents about the manner of caregiving. According to Kalra, such stories are important as the diagnosis of a child being on the spectrum holds significance for the entire family. 'Selfie, Please already begins with a level of understanding—it doesn't explain Down Syndrome nor does it overtly dramatise the sibling rivalry. It just shows an episode from the life of this family," she says.
For Anu, who wrote series such as Aarya and Mrs, this film stemmed from personal experiences. 'Ananya, who plays the sibling with Down Syndrome, is my first cousin. I have seen her mother feel conflicted about encouraging her to explore her social space while also being fiercely protective of her. Often that comes at the cost of your sanity and world view. And if you have another child, who is neurotypical, that plight increases," she says.
The medium of short film allowed her to choose an ordinary day from someone's life. The moment of conflict shows the choices that families are making on a daily basis. 'Cinematic storytelling will always look for something extraordinary. But storytellers should not take away the mundanity of everyday life. They should strike a balance—something that Sitaare Zameen Par does well," elaborates Anu.
Meanwhile, Selfie, Please has been winning awards at festivals such as the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival, Indian World Film Festival and Bangalore Short Films Festival. The filmmaker is keen that the screenings be followed by focused group discussions as well. For instance, just last week, Selfie, Please was screened at the Veda Kunba Auditorium, Mumbai, as part of the event, Neuro Unity: Lights Camera Inclusion, organised by Kalra. This included a discussion with Anu and Divy Nidhi Sharma, writer, Sitaare Zameen Par, about ways of authentically portraying neurodivergent characters in cinema and television. 'There is a need to create understanding not just about people on the spectrum but those around them as well. It is not just about a film but what you can take away from that to expand your worldview," adds Anu .