Cinematographer Mahesh Limaye, who has worked on most of Madhur Bhandarkar’s films, never imagined that his directorial debut, Yellow , would have such a huge impact. The film, which featured in the Indian competition section of the 7th Bengaluru International Film Festival, received a good response.
Yellow is based on the true story of Gauri Gadgil, the 23-year-old gold medallist paralympics swimmer, who has Down’s syndrome. What sets the film apart is the fact that the lead character is played by Gauri herself. “I wanted to ensure that the story is narrated sincerely,” Mr. Limaye said, noting that Yellow , which is in Marathi, had touched people, crossing the language barrier.
“The co-actors, who were initially apprehensive about the casting of Gauri, were stunned after meeting her. She is a real live wire. Can you imagine she spent as many as eight hours a day in the swimming pool for practice,” he asked.
Admitting that handling the young Gauri (played by a child actor) was difficult compared to the grown-up Gauri, Mr. Limaye said: “Young Gauri was so innocent that when the President of India gave a certificate to her, she posed for the photograph as asked by her mother, and then returned the certificate to him!”
Noting that persons with special needs cannot tolerate “sympathy”, Mr. Limaye said: “My film is not for people with special-needs, it is for ‘normal’ persons so that they understand them.”
