Indian cinema is not inclusive: Ojaswwee Sharma

Filmmaker Ojaswwee Sharma, who bagged an award at the 68th National Film Awards for 2020 for his docudrama, Admitted, is out to create another paradigm in the industry. His recently released film, Rabb Di Awaaz has been sent to the Censor board for its version with sign language and for the visually challenged, making it the first film to do so.

This is your second film on inclusivity, with Admitted being about Dhananjay, a trans activist from Chandigarh and her struggles. Is this a deliberate pattern?

When I meet people, their pain strikes me, and energy starts flowing automatically on co-relevant issues. Rabb Di Awaaz highlights that inclusivity doesn’t mean you show only one type of people. It becomes meaningful only when you show both sides and then see their situation in perspective and come across as equals in society. The film took five years to make, research, verify, understand impaired people’s terminologies for layman’s comprehension.

Are you trying to leverage cinema as a vehicle for social messages?

Cinema is not just art, it is science, technology, marketing, and we want to build an equal palate through it. When Admitted was released, no had seen so many trans people go to cinemas. We were the first filmmakers to liberalise a film, and not charge them for it since they are still warming up to the idea.

In this film, we have cast genuine, authentic character, who are 100% verified visually challenged people like Somya Thakur, who represented India at Miss Wheelchair contest 2022, and Principal of Blind School, Chandigarh. These are simple, not over the top films which want to show that a blind representation in cinema can go beyond portraying them as poor, or beggars.

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So, this is not mainstream cinema then?

When we say mainstream, who is mainstream for the blind? For them the blind are mainstream and we need to understand this.

Why do you feel the need to address inclusivity?

Because education is not doing enough. We must start talking about it according to the new education policy. Sadly, education is not inclusive. There is prejudice against people who faced atrocities and no one addresses it. There have been many films in mainstream on the blind, but none have explored this aspect. Honestly, stories come to me, I don’t go out looking for them, and are made from heart, that’s why touches heart.

How do you hope to change the narrative of filmmaking through films?

I can only talk about my current films. For instance, Rabb Di Awaaz is available with audio description for people who are 100% blind and can understand scenes with more accuracy especially those that have absolute silence like a person driving alone and no conversation is taking place. Half the population is also hearing impaired, and for them the film is in sign language too. But, no protocol is by observed by the Information & Broadcasting ministry for censoring such films and the Board doesn’t have a jury to assess the film. We are still waiting for their clearance on these two versions. After our film, the ministry has also invited comments from the federation of producers, rehab council of India on how to make cinema inclusive. If we get Censor for these films, it will create a record though we will not release in theaters because theatres are not inclusive for the disabled.

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