Indian cinema, at least mainstream Bollywood films have not done well when it comes to realistic representations of mental health and illnesses. Through the years we’ve been shown everything from infantilised characters in need of sympathy to ones with high decibel antics that find themselves in jail or mental health establishments, commonly referred to as mental hospitals. Mental, developmental and behavioural disorders are never really defined as such but more so implicated by using generic stereotypes and tropes – for example, a ‘child-like’ Hrithik Roshan is assumed to be a person with autism, without any real understanding of the entire spectrum. We have manic laughter, sporadic bursts of anger, violence, obsession, seen as general, overall symptoms of impairments to mental health.
Either crazed villains, hysterical or comic relief – rarely have there been a sensitive, sensible portrayal of fleshed-out, well-written roles that reflect the reality of living with a mental illness or being a caregiver for someone struggling with bad mental health.
Over the years, the film industry’s subpar treatment of mental health has become reflective of our society’s negligible effort to normalise these dialogues. These come sprinkled with ignorance, lack of scientific backing and overall mishandling of what is lived realities for millions across the country.
There needs to be accountability, and there is a certain responsibility because pop culture has grown to become one of the greatest influencers and conversation starters for people across social strata. There have, however, been a few gems across regional industries that have tried to realistically handle the subject. There still exists problematic elements within these narratives, however there are certain aspects of their characters, stories and the way it is portrayed that deserve a nod of appreciation.
Sadly, there aren’t very many films that we can honestly say fit the bill but we’ve put together a list what we feel are movies that deal with aspects of mental health in a sensible and realistic manner.
[Note: There may be some spoilers ahead.]
I. Dear Zindagi (2016) directed by Gauri Shinde
While not everyone at the Homegrown office particularly loved the film, we can’t disagree about the fact that it can be respected for its showcasing of therapy on-screen. Therapy is something that many Indians of all ages are fearful of participating in with the abundant misinformation and stigma attached to it. While we should also mention that therapists don’t look like Shah Rukh Khan (if you do know any that do, call us) and sessions are rarely a stroll down a beach.
Dear Zindagi showed the audience an accomplished young, independent, functional woman that is outwardly ‘normal’, who sought out help when she needed it. There is no ‘bechari’ helpless female character being saved by anyone else. Therapy is a normalised aspect of self-care and the protagonist has a system of support and care that are very important for everyone struggling with mental health ailments. The film also addresses the complications that may arise in a patient-therapist relationship.
It’s available for streaming on Netflix.
II. 15 Park Avenue (2005) directed by Aparna Sen
Perhaps one of the most hauntingly beautiful films, 15 Park Avenue is a movie that is hard to forget. Though there is some sentimentality attached to Konkona Sen Sharma’s character as what it evokes in viewers is sympathy, not empathy – for her and her caregivers. Sen Sharma does a stellar job at playing a young woman with schizophrenia and the narrative deals very well with the trauma that can trigger mental ailments as well as the challenges that a serious illness poses to family dynamics. There is a certain amount of infantalising of Sen Sharma’s character but we see no romanticising of mental illness or pandering in the plot line or a cathartic happy ending, as such. Instead, it shows Sen Sharma and Shabana Azmi’s characters doing what they can to manage their daily lives to the best of their abilities.
III. Devrai (2004) directed by Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar
A Marathi film with several accolades to its name, Devrai (Sacred Grove) stands for the sensitive nature in which it shows the sister’s frustration and struggle when it comes to supporting the protagonist, her brother’s ‘mental unravelling’. With great performances from the leads, it shows that the role of a caregiver can be detrimental to the person’s own mental health as well as their need for support and understanding – which in the film, Seena gets from a doctor and lady who runs a day-care centre for people who live with mental illnesses.
While we weren’t too happy with the end, the dialogues of the film and the way it is beautifully shot makes Devrai a film to watch.
You can stream it online on Netflix.
IV. Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) directed by Priyadarshan
Hear us out before you jump! Yes, the film is extremely problematic in a lot of ways, from its dialogues and use of certain terminologies – a shouting Shiney Ahuja’s “aapki beti paagal hai”, for example – to Vidya Balan’s portrayal of a woman with a mental illness and especially its neatly tied up happy ending (that is not how Dissociative Identity Disorder is ‘cured’). The one thing that we appreciate from this film is Akshay Kumar’s character, psychiatrist Aditya Shrivastav’s explaining of the mental ailment in the film and the need to differentiate real disorders from superstitions and religious beliefs. There are moments of sanity, pun not intended, in what he says regarding mental illness which wasn’t common in a big-screen film with big names attached to it – that too back in 2007.
It’s available for streaming on Netflix.
V. Kaasav (2017) directed by Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar
Another great film under the dynamic duo’s belt, National Award-winning Kaasav talks about depression, treatment, suicide, care and loneliness. Nature, human relationships and cinematic excellence – the film has a seemingly simple story of a woman (who herself is coping with issues related to mental health) nursing a young man she came across back to health but its meanings and messages go far beyond that. The turtle metaphor of hiding and healing plays through the dialogues and great acting, Kaasav is a sensitive and nuanced take on depression and recovery. We don’t want to get into many more details because, well, spoilers, and this is really a film that needs to be watched. We can’t wait to watch what Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar do next.
This article is part of Homegrown’s month-long campaign called #HGHeadspace leading up to Mental Health Awareness Week. If you’d like to share your mental health journey with us, write in to editor@homegrown.co.in
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