Autism and Parenthood: A Comparative Analysis of I Am Sam and Main Aisa Hi Hoon

Abstract

Disability has been variously portrayed in both Hollywood and Bollywood movies, with the ulterior motive of integrating the disabled into the social mainstream. For my study, I have chosen to focus on autism and how this particular disability is portrayed in two filmsthe American movie, I Am Sam (2001) and a Bollywood remake of it called Main Aisa Hi Hoon (2005). The same story is portrayed with the same theme, but, with different cultural contexts and in the hands of different directors, they develop interesting points of comparison. The idea of autism is integrated into a more generalized experience of parenthood, while addressing the doubts regarding heteronormative experiences of the disabled people. The optimistic views of the movie would present a positive scenario, but the way they achieve it is worth analyzing as certain pertinent social issues are also laid bare in the process.