In a world where so many movies stumble in the dark when it comes to fairly portraying those with disabilities, a film like “Black” is a beacon of hope.
Starring Hindi movie giants Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee, this Sanjay Leela Bhansali film stands far above most in it’s industry-and even those from Hollywood. And while lacking the typical Bollywood fare of song sequences, “Black” more than makes up for this with high-quality acting and spectacular visuals.
Left blind and deaf from an illness as an infant, Michelle McNally (Mukherjee) spends the first eight years of her life as a violent menace to her family. Desperate to keep her child out of an institution, Michelle’s mother (Shernaz Patel) writes Debraj Sahai (Bachchan), a teacher for blind children. Though unorthodox and trying of the McNally family’s patience, Debraj’s teaching breaks through Michelle’s “black,” teaching her to communicate with the world.
From then on, Debraj is Michelle’s indispensable guru, constantly striving to show her that her world is not a bleak darkness but one of strength and hope. Whether driving her to type faster with a Braille typewriter, preparing her for college, or explaining love, Debraj is steadfast in his dedication to his life’s finest work-Michelle. That is until he begins suffering Alzheimer’s-like symptoms and eventually decides to leave her.
This is territory director Bhansali is familiar with, and, yet again, shows why he is an expert on serious matters. Though it would be hard to top his legendary 2002 film “Devdas,” “Black” is nothing to be scoffed at. Through heavy mood lighting and the poignant use of black, white and warm colors, the worlds of Michelle and Debraj become more tangible and less movie-like-both fighting the good fight, using faith, love and perseverance to overcome life’s obstacles.
At once fiery, rich and proud, Bachchan’s characterization of Debraj is nothing short of amazing. Whether using his booming baritone to scold young Michelle for being unruly, or playing a frail old man with his life slipping away, Bachchan’s performance in “Black” would win him an Oscar if he were American. In the Bollywood industry, he is peerless in terms of both film quality and quantity, his popularity never better. In 2004, he appeared or starred in 11 movies, and is slated to be in just as many this year.
And while one could sing the praises of Bachchan all day, it is Mukherjee who steals the film. Normally typecast as the traditional matronly beauty, Mukherjee shatters this image, leaving the viewer with a deep impression of Michelle. Some might think her portrayal as over the top, but in a film where nothing is inconsequential, from the falling snow to the nastiness of sibling rivalry, Mukherjee’s Michelle fits perfectly.
Some criticize “Black” as being a direct rip-off of “The Miracle Worker,” the film about Helen Keller, who learned to communicate despite being unable to speak, see or hear. It is much more than that, however. There are indeed many similarities, but Bhansali’s moody vision of the enveloping “black” people like Michelle live in (and how the outside world fits in) is remarkable, giving new life to the age-old tale of overcoming life’s obstacles.
