Differently-abled actor Geetha and inclusive Kollywood

Compassionate and inclusive, Kollywood is sure to bring about a healthy change in the society. Oliyum Oliyum, produced by Sivakumar and Rajeev Venkataraman and directed by Shakthi Chellam, is the perfect example.

The filmmakers wanted to make a differently-abled person the heroine of their film – not to play a challenged character on the screen but to be a normal heroine of Kollywood! They wanted to show how inclusive we can get! For this reason, they began searching for a differently-abled girl. All the while they were filming other scenes of the film that did not involve the heroine. Finally, they found Geetha (aka Poongodi), who is differently-abled but has excellent sign language skills. She was born without hearing or speaking capabilities, but with the help of dedicated parents and teachers and her iron will, she developed skills to compensate for the loss. Geetha even had some modeling experience which proved to be a blessing for the filmmakers.

With the help of a special trainer Shobi, they were able explain the scenes and dialogues to her and Geetha gave a splendid performance. She moved her lips just like an eloquent speaker would while enunciating words! Now, renowned Kollywood dubbing artist Anuradha is dubbing for her. The unit was surprised with Geetha's comprehension and sharpness of mind; some even agreed that her comprehension is faster than normal actors and her performance is splendid. When you watch the film, you will never have an inkling that she is differently-abled; such is her performance.

Well, this is a very noble act by the filmmakers and Oliyum Oliyum will get a distinct place in the history of Cinema for this reason. It will also bring down the social stigma associated with differently-abled people.

It is only a matter of perspective. We use ears to listen and lips, tongue and throat to speak; people whose auditory and speech faculties are challenged use their eyes to read others’ lips to comprehend what is being said and use their hands to put across their thoughts – the purpose of communication is still achieved! We are so preoccupied with the thought that they are ill-equipped that we fail to see they can outdo us in few areas: it is scientifically proven that for people whose senses are challenged, the unaffected senses are extremely well-developed. In fact, they are generally sharper than their "unchallenged peers" in many ways. In some rare cases, some even develop an extrasensory perception!

The makers of Oliyum Oliyum have proved this by making a differently-abled person act in their film.

Galatta.com salutes Geetha and the team of Oliyum Oliyum for their achievement.