Margarita with a Straw
The Shonali Bose film earned rave reviews for the tale of a cerebral palsy-afflicted teenager’s route to self-discovery. The films saw ace actress Kalki Koechlin essaying the role of Laila who wishes she can have all the experiences of a normal teenager. It especially was lauded for pushing the envelope when it came especially to sexual desires of the differently abled.
Taare Zameen Par
Ishaan just can't seem to be good in class no matter how hard he tries and his parents, techers and peers keep chiding him about it. However a new professor takes special interest in him and it is soon discovered that the root of the cause is that the little boy suffers from dyslexia. The educational drama which was produced and directed by Aamir Khan was a huge success and went on to win the National Film Award for Best Film.
Black
The Sanjay Leela Bhansali film is still fondly remembered for it's beautiful moving story. Inspired by the the life and struggles of American author Hellen Keller, the film revolved around a blind and deaf girl (Rani Mukerji) and her relationship with her teacher (Amitabh Bachchan) who later develops Alzheimer’s disease.
Iqbal
Starring Shreyas Talpade in the titular role, Iqbal narates the story of a deaf and dumb boy who dreams of making it to the Indian cricket team. However owing to his disability, he is ignored. However a retired coach decides to train him and ultimately leads him towards his goal. Also starring Naseeruddin Shah and Shweta Prasad, the film made close to Rs.3 crore in box office collections.
Paa
This movie has appropriately showcased the symptoms and consequences of the rare disease, Progeria, through the character “Auro”, played by Amitabh Bachchan. It is a heart-touching story of a 12 year old boy who is charming and intelligent but unfortunately dies at the end. Interestingly Abhishek Bachchan essays the role of Auro's father in the film.
My Name Is Khan
This film saw Karan Johar reuniting with the much loved pair of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in an intense drama that was quite a departure from the love stories they are known for. Khan plays Rizwan, diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome who sets out on a journey to meet the President of the United States. The film made more than Rs.82 crore in collections.
Barfi!
Directed by Anurag Basu, the romantic comedy which is set in the 1970s focuses on a deaf and mute Darjeeling boy (Ranbir Kapoor) and his relationship with two women, including an autistic heiress (Priyanka Chopra).
Khamoshi
This 1996 film set in Goa and once again directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali starred Nana Patekar, Manisha Koirala, Salman Khan, Seema Biswas and Helen. The music drama centres around a deaf and mute couple and their daughter Annie who is able to speak and hear. As Annie's life gets centres around her parent, she also is determined to pursue her love for music and gets her musical inspirations from her grandmother, Maria Braganza (Helen). However owing to certain circumstances, her parents suddenly forbid her from pursuing music further.
