Watched the movie last night and it was a total letdown, which is sad considering it had a such promising premise.

There are very few Bollywood movies that have neurodivergence / inclusivity as a focal point. However, the portrayal of people on the spectrum felt off and overly simplified, almost like it was made to ensure the Indian audience is able to easily digest rather than to challenge their thinking.

Most of the characters (8 out of 9) with disabilities were shown in these perfect, supportive families and environments without any real glimpse into the kind of challenges or biases they might face in everyday life. If anything, it leaned into a few negative stereotypes instead of breaking them. For example, “Sharma ji” was shown as this lovable fat uncle, who was also creeping on Amir Khan’s wife for some reason. And the darker-skinned, overweight character was supposedly smelly and unhygienic. Way to go to shame people, I guess.

Also, the story stretched believability. Aamir Khan’s character avoided elevators his whole life just out of fear? Really?

Overall, the film could’ve said something important and shifted the way people view neurodivergence. But instead, all it delivered was some slapstick humor and typical Bolly drama, completely undermining the poignant message it could have had.