Redefining disabilities in Bollywood; Hrithik and Yami break stereotypes & smile away to life

We had been awaiting the trailer of ‘Kaabil’ since a long time. Reason one being, it marked the return of Rakesh Roshan and Hrithik Roshan’s team, after a long time, and secondly, there were so many fresh things to look forward to. Fresh pairing of Hrithik and Yami, the music of Rajesh Roshan, Sanjay Gupta’s tight and crisp direction, and a storyline that was a breath of fresh air amongst a mass of stereotypical noisy action. And boy, we were stumped. The trailer promised romance, melody, and thrill. Hrithik’s transition from a man in love to the man who sought revenge looked amazing enough to induce goose bumps.

But there was yet another stereotype that Hrithik and Yami were going to break with ‘Kaabil‘, and that was the portrayal of being a disabled person. Both the protagonists in the movie are visually impaired. Yet, the scenes before your eyes are colourful, full of joy, and never soppy. The zeal of life portrayed by these two makes you forget that they cannot see, and what they feel for each other is the only truth.

Remember the good old Golden years? That was the time when melodrama was at its peak, and being blind sought sympathy for the character, maybe in the form of a mother, sister, or father, who is compelled to resort to humiliating means to justify the disability.

Not anymore.

Just when we thought it could not get better, the title track of the movie, ‘Kaabil Hoon’ was released today. Peppy and vivacious, it just croons its way into your heart. Everything, from the expressions of Hrithik and Yami, to their body language, is perfect for a visually impaired person, but not for a moment do you see it affecting them. In fact, they are like any two people who date, and slowly, fall madly and deeply in love.

There are so many sequences in this one song that make you smile. Be it when these two endearingly keep touching each other’s faces to feel the one they love, or when they try and see the unseen dreams in oblivion, it is just so beautiful. Another very encouraging thing that we see in the song is the way Hrithik uses his sense of hearing to counter the impairment of not being able to see.

They fall, they laugh, they get up, and just carry on. Not for a moment do you see a helping hand around reminding them of the fact that they are sightless. Even the proposal scene is so endearing, that you feel a sting in your eyes, and you feel like clapping like the rest of the people who witness Hrithik getting down on his knees for Yami.

In fact, if we might take the liberty of saying so, the last time we so such a beautiful and endearing chemistry around a couple that suffered from a particular disability, it was Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bhaduri in the movie ‘Koshish’, where they played a mute and deaf couple. Hrithik and Yami’s chemistry reminds us of the same.

They sought comfort in each other, and the light from their hearts dimmed the darkness around them. Welcome this new change in Bollywood, and welcome it with open arms. We don’t know how the movie will be, but one thing is for sure from the trailer, and from this first song. We know that this is indeed one better step towards changing cinema in Bollywood.

Kadambari Srivastava

Grammar Nazi, word weaver, dreamer, bibliophile, technophile, caffeine addict, foodie, shuttling shopaholic! Mash it in a Bollywood recipe and voila! Pushpa, you’ve got her!