The Pain of Dyslexia, As Told by Bollywood

"Earlier, they would come when the child was thrown out of school or when they were up against the wall. Now, they come proactively and want to know if their child has dyslexia."

Educators and analysts say that as Indian schools have become more competitive, they have put too much emphasis on textbook studies and not enough on other skills. Schools dismiss children with learning disabilities as hopeless and badly behaved.

In the film, when the father is told that his son has dyslexia, he asks: "My son is not normal? Is he mentally retarded?"

The screenwriter, Amole Gupte, said his film has changed the way dyslexia is seen in India. Since the film's release, Gupte has been asked to write on the subject in the press and has answered countless reader questions.

"I get so many painful letters and phone calls from parents across the country," Gupte said in a telephone interview. "Fathers weep on the phone and say they saw the film and realized that they have been wrong in the way they treated their children. This is catharsis."

The Indian government passed a comprehensive disabilities law in 1995 that guarantees rehabilitation, job quotas and housing for people with visual, hearing, mental and physical disabilities. But it does not mention learning disabilities.

"Unfortunately, many in India still think learning disability comes under the mental illness category, and that adds to the shame and stigma," said T.D. Dhariyal, the government's deputy chief commissioner for persons with disabilities. Officials are now considering a list of amendments that would expand the definition of disability. "The government estimates that there are 21 million Indians with a disability, but the number would shoot up if learning disabilities are taken into account," Dhariyal said.

At a recent meeting with parents, Bawa Aditya Singh, a 27-year-old executive who has emerged as the public face of dyslexia for many in the capital, took to the stage and introduced himself, saying "I am dyslexic."

"There was pin-drop silence for some minutes. People kept staring at me," Singh recalled. "Then they asked what I did for a living. I said I have worked with Disney in the U.S. and am now the general manager at an upscale restaurant here. Their jaws dropped. After a few minutes, they began bringing their children in. And one after the other they stood up and said their child had dyslexia, too."