From Pity to Collective Agency: Reframing Disability in Indian Cinema (2010–2025) with Special Reference to Sitaare Zameen Par

Abstract

This paper critically analyzes disability representation in Indian cinema from 2010 to 2025, foregrounding two primary texts—Sitaare Zameen Par and Hichki—and situating them alongside Margarita with a Straw, My Name Is Khan, and Guzaarish to trace evolving tropes, aesthetics, and politics across the period. Informed by Disability Studies, Narrative Theory, and Cultural Studies, the research assesses how these films break away from stereotypical depictions—disabled characters were previously objects of pity, moral lessons, or narrative burdens—toward more dignified and inclusive representations. The chosen films place at centre stage disabled characters' autonomy, emotional depth, and intersectional identities, breaking away from ableist and savior-oriented tropes. Specifically, Sitaare Zameen Par (2025) initiates disability representation by foregrounding a team of intellectually disabled basketball players as protagonists, shifting the narrative from pity to empowerment and emphasizing social integration over individual correction. The critique reflects upon how evolving societal perspectives, influenced by legal provisions like the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016) and educational reforms, have gradually shaped cinematic sensitivities. It also questions the intersectionality of disability with education, class, and gender—the variables that constitute the lived experience and film representation of disabled people. The paper concludes that Indian cinema has started to redefine disability as a site of agency, resistance, and shared humanity, even as it continues to grapple with what remains of residual tropes.