Before Laal Singh Chaddha, a look at Hindi films that pushed the envelope of disability representation in cinema

On the heels of Laal Singh Chaddha’s release, it has sprung to my mind that the representation of the differently-abled in Hindi cinema has been somewhere between being reductive and one-dimensional, to memorable and decent. On the heels of Laal Singh Chaddha’s release, it has sprung to my mind that the representation of the differently-abled in Hindi cinema has been quite interesting so far. While I agree that inclusivity and representation matter gravely, making it important to have real people with disabilities to act in such roles, I also know that it’s equally important for familiar and crowd-pulling faces like that of Shahrukh Khan, to perform roles like this. We have a long way to go, when it comes to casting differently-abled actors, in characters who are differently abled, and for that reason alone, Jalsa is a stellar moment in Hindi cinema, and Surya is a testament to how we must be accepting of people, while also determining someone’s presence not by their look, or appearance, but by their ability to give their everything.