​World Alzheimer’s Day: From ‘Black’ To ‘Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Mara’, 6 Films That Addressed This Cognitive Condition​

September 21 marks World Alzheimer’s Day. This date has been marked to spread awareness about this increasingly common cognitive disorder that affects those aged past 65.
Sensitive, nuanced portrayal of people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia has been (unshockingly) sparse in Bollywood.
Nevertheless, some films have managed to come out with semi-realistic depictions of the myriad struggles of living with or caring for someone with dementia, without resorting to reducing them to caricatures.

One of the most poignant movies to come out of Bollywood, this Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie was one of the few mainstream films to depict two specially-abled people - one blind and hearing impaired and the other suffering from debilitating Alzheimer’s with dignity, without making them caricatures. Amitabh Bachchan’s portrayal of Debraj Sahai, a sign language expert who eventually gets diagnosed with Alzheimer’s will evoke at least a tear or two.

This was a rom-com with a heart! Although Ajay Devgn’s directorial debut didn’t really create wonders at the box-office, the tender love story between a happily married couple, one of whom developes Alzheimer’s received critical acclaim.
Kajol’s performance as a devoted wife and mother who becomes helpless against an onslaught of Alzheimer’s and loses her self-esteem makes the movie a harrowing if rewarding watch.

One of the underrated gems of Bollywood, this Jahnu Barua movie explores the gradual downward spiral of a professor, who gets diagnosed with dementia and how that changes the dynamics in his family once and forever. Supported by powerful performances from Anupam Kher, a once renowned professor, who becomes a victim of dangerous delusions, and Urmila Matondkar as Trisha, his devoted daughter, this family drama explores the taboo topic of the long-term impact of living with a family member with dementia.

Another family drama that is low on melodrama, but tugs at your heartstrings effectively, 'Mai' explores the sensitive subject of living with a close family member with dementia, this Mahesh Kodiyal directorial also marked the celluloid debut of music icon Asha Bhosle.
Bhosle's incredibly nuanced portrayal of a mother who eventually becomes a burden to her own flesh and blood due to her failing memory makes the film a highly emotional and engaging watch.

While the onset of the film appeared to be a slice-of-life romance about two 50-something strangers finding love in the twilight of their lives, very soon this Avinash Kumar Singh directorial takes a different turn and delves into the psyche of a man grappling with failing memory and struggling to have a resemblance of normalcy. The movie also marked the reunion of a beloved onscreen pair - Deepti Naval and Farooq Sheikh.

Can a mother-daughter bond survive a brutal onslaught of dementia? Starring two veteran actresses Deepti Naval and Kalki Koechlin, this Pushan Kripalani directorial takes an honest yet tender approach toward how challenging it can be to live and reconnect with a parent with an increasingly fragile grasp on reality.
Both Deepti Naval as well as Kalki Koechlin are brilliant as a pair of estranged mother-daughter duo who try to reconcile generational differences, all while Naval’s character Sadhana is battling worsening dementia.