When films go beyond mere tokenism

It is time for films to focus on neurodiverse people as well as their families and caregivers

- Avantika Bhuyan

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?