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Hearing Impairment

There have been comparatively less number of films for the hearing impaired 'Koshish' was well received film by reviewers of its time and remembered for great performances by Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bhaduri. This melodrama is about a deaf couple who with the aid of a blind man overcome the odds of living in a 'hostile' and 'uncaring' society. The focus is on depicting the problems faced by a couple who are both deaf. They even loose their son because both of them are unable to hear the cries of their own son due to the apparent disability. The director, Gulzar learnt sign language for many days in order to be a successful film director.

"Beyond Silence" is another German film potraying the problems of the deaf. Lara's parents are both deaf. As a result the small girl has to act as an intermediary between her parents and the outside world from an early age. She was expected to 'translate' - be it a telephone call or a meeting of her parts with the teacher. Her father's fear of losing his daughter is thus more deep-rooted than in other cases. When Lara leaves her hometown after her school education and goes to Berlin to study, she is unable to shed the feeling of running away from a responsibility that bears heavily upon her. When she hears the news of death of her mother, she is concerned and feels more responsible for her father. But the father indirectly accuses her of being partly to be blamed for her mother's death. In frustration, she leaves her home. In the end, her father unexpectedly arrives to see his daughter perform a play on stage for the first time. This film was so powerfully made that it inspired Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali to make the film "Khamoshi" starring Salman Khan and Manisha Koirala. In both these films again, the focus is on depicting the living conditions of a deaf couple.

"Children of a Lesser God" is another powerful US film directed by Randa Heimes. The film is about an idealistic, energetic and rebellious special education teacher. He joins a prestigious school for the hearing impaired to teach 11th grade deaf children to read lips and speak phonetically. It is obvious from the start that Leeds has a real talent for this kind of work. He relates to the children well and appears to have real passion about the work that he does. He is not there long when he becomes curious about an attractive young woman working at the school as a custodian. Her name is Sarah, a former student of the school. Being a natural do-gooder, he tries to reach out to her to read lips and speak but she dismisses his offers in a sarcastic and abrupt manner. She is content with her sign language and her sheltered lifestyle. Leeds however, is persuasive and it soon becomes evident that his interest in her goes beyond the professional and his persistence eventually pays off and a friendship between the two blossom.

Although these films depict extremely well the communication skills of the deaf and tells the public that it is possible to understand deaf people, but then it is very important for normal people to know lip reading / sign language before a communication can be built up between the hearing and hearing impaired. Otherwise a communication gap is likely to sustain between the two. As a result the hearing impaired will continue to remain segregated halves. Secondly it is only in the film, "Children Of A Lesser God", that a message has been sent to the general public that hearing impaired are not "deaf & dumb", instead if appropriate lip reading skills are imparted, they will only be deaf and not dumb as the general notices prevails. "It is only because they have not been able to hear that they are unable to speak". Thirdly it is once again important to make Indian films show how to rehabilitate the hearing impaired educationally, vocationally, economically and socially.