Review : Encouraging, entertaining and morale boosting film ‘Ahaan’!
When most of us are leading normal life, many of us complain when faced with bad luck. But think about the world of people, especially children, who are differently abled and fighting every moment of life to survive or exist. We, as a society, are still not mentally equipped to cater to the needs of ‘Special Children’. Disabled or mentally retarded words are passé in the current society but this very society should lend hand to this section of the society to allow or help them lead ‘normal’ life. The word normal is normal for us but not for special children, including suffering from Down Syndrome. Most children with Down syndrome have mild to moderate cognitive impairment. Language is delayed, and both short and long-term memory is affected. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder and this extra genetic material causes the developmental changes and physical features of Down syndrome.
Can a Down Syndrome can be a subject of a feature film? The answer is yes. Director and writer Nikhil Pherwani has used a person with Down Syndrome as a central character of a movie, ‘Ahaan’. Usually entertainment is not expected from this type of subject but he proves everybody wrong as he dishes out an endearing emotional, without showing a sob story, and very entertaining movie. The lead character of Ahaan is played by Abuli Mamaji who is suffering from Down Syndrome and he has done a good job.
Ahaan (Abuli Mamaji) is the only child of a businessman father and homemaker and ‘Brownie’ specialist, mother. Father is always detached from his son with a down syndrome but mother is supportive and always helps him to be independent. Ahaan helps his mother to deliver orders of brownies, one of the household being his Anu (Niharika Singh) aunty. Anu’s husband Ozzy (Arif Zakaria) is ‘suffering’ from OCD syndrome to such an extent that he doesn’t want a child. This lead to a separation and Ahaan comes in his life. Actually he always has detested Ahaan entering his house and sitting on a sofa while munching but after his wife leaves him he starts missing her and her home cooked food. He finds that Anu cooks for Ahaan as she has always been fond of him and tries to strike friendship with Ahaan, a bit surprising for him as he always knew Ozzy didn’t like him. An initial awkwardness progresses into a friendship, which gives way to a life-transforming experience for both. Life brings an endearing change by the entry of young man Ahaan with Down Syndrome in contact with a self-indulgent man Ozzy suffering from OCD. While spending time with Ahaan, Ozzy comes to know about Ahaan’s desire to lead normal life like going to office, having a girlfriend (Plabita Borthakur) or playing sports. Their friendship culminates into Ozzy realising his OCD syndrome being a problem between him and happiness he consults a psychologist (Rajit Kapoor). It’s interesting to find out what transpires next which impacts Ozzy, Anu and Ahaan’s lives.
Writer-director Nikhil Pherwani has written an endearing story with expecting any sympathy for the central character with Down syndrome. The screenplay is tight and there are lots of lighter moments. With entry of Ahaan you start liking him and that’s a plus for the screenplay writer (and of course the actor). The director has kept it crisp by not deviating from the subject and the runtime of 81m is perfect as at the end it brings smile on your face. Dialogues are interesting and laced with light humour which makes the film entertaining. Arif Zakaria, Niharika Singh, Plabita Borthakur have done a good job and ‘special’ mention should be made about Abuli Mamaji as he has aced the role despite a Down syndrome person himself. (It’s not a sympathy but admiration)
‘Ahaan’ is well made movie, which is encouraging, entertaining and morale boosting, needs all the support from the viewers with a fine taste in good cinema.
***1/2