Black(Hindi)

Story:

Black is a 2005 Indian English- and Hindi-language drama film co-written, directed, and co-produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It stars Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji in lead roles, with Ayesha Kapur, Shernaz Patel and Dhritiman Chatterjee in supporting roles. The film narrates the story of Michelle (Mukerji), a deaf-and-blind woman, and her relationship with her teacher Debraj (Bachchan), an elderly alcoholic teacher who himself later develops Alzheimer’s disease.

PLOT

Michelle lost her eyesight and hearing after recovering from an illness at age two, and grows up as a violent, uncontrollable child. Her parents, Paul and Catherine, are at their wits’ end trying to control her until Debraj, an elderly alcoholic teacher, enters their lives. Debraj takes it upon himself to build Michelle into someone who can express and communicate.

He uses harsh methods initially disapproved by Michelle’s father, who asks him to leave. Debraj stays while her father is away on a business trip, teaching Michelle a few words and better manners. He packs his bags when Michelle’s father returns. Right before he leaves, Debraj gets frustrated seeing Michelle back to being insolent. He throws her into a fountain of water. It causes her to take to Debraj’s lessons; she finally understands what water is, and can recognise her parents and vocalise the first syllables of small words. It convinces her parents to retain Debraj.

Many years later, Michelle has grown into an expressive woman who is even able to dance and expertly sign. She gets admission to pursue a bachelor’s degree with Debraj’s help, moving away from home and lives with Debraj and one of her maids. Over the next two years, she struggles to gain her degree, failing year after year, but maintains her spirit. One reason is that she must rely on Debraj for interpretation of the material but the principal helps by preparing the first-year course of study in braille. Debraj begins to succumb to Alzheimer’s disease, at one point forgetting Michelle and leaving her stranded during a celebration. Therefore, Debraj decides to leave her.

Twelve years later, Michelle manages to gain her degree and with her proud parents looking on, gives a speech at graduation. She does not wear her graduation robe, insisting she wants Debraj to be the first one to see her in it. Debraj is now in a mental hospital due to his near-inability to remember his past and even how to speak. Michelle visits him wearing her robe; this causes glimmers of memory to return as Debraj realizes she has graduated. As the window opens to the rain, Michelle reaches out to it with Debraj’s hand in hers, and the pair say the first syllable of “water”, reminiscent of the first time Michelle understood the meaning of words when Debraj threw her into the fountain. The film ends with a scene of Michelle among a crowd of people dressed in black carrying candles toward a church.