‘Jalsa’ Team Was Sensitive, Not Sympathetic Towards Surya Kasibhatla

Directed by Indian filmmaker Suresh Triveni (of Tumhari Sulu fame), Jalsa features young debutant actor Surya Kasibhatla – a cerebral palsy patient essaying the role of a child with cerebral palsy. It is arguably the first instance of an artist with a disability portraying a character with the disability in a Hindi film. Jalsa features Vidya Balan as a popular news anchor and Shefali Shah plays her maid while Kasibhatla plays Balan’s son in the Amazon
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Prime Video movie.

Born in India, Kasibhatla loves technology and computer programming. He has also created a computer game and developed a few websites. “It is my aim to be a tech entrepreneur who develops voice-based operating system for people with disabilities. I love acting as well and would love to continue as long as I get roles that I like,” he says, adding that he often studied during the breaks while shooting for Jalsa.

Balan says playing Kasibhatla’s mom was the best thing about working on Jalsa. “The best part was playing mom to Surya. He sees nothing as a limitation and the credit goes to his parents. The way they are bringing him up and the confidence that he has (is amazing). I have to say he is such a brilliant actor. It did not look like he was facing the camera for the first time. He would convey so much with one look. I was always amazed by him.”

Director Triveni agrees: “He is an incredible and self-critical actor, Hindi is not his first language but he practiced again and again. If he felt a word was not audible or clear enough, he’d keep practicing.”

Talking about representation of persons with disabilities onscreen, Kasibhatla says, “I am not aware of any person with actual disabilities acting in movies. Hitchki, Taare Zameen Par and Koi Mil Gaya are some of the Hindi movies I can think of that portrayed disabilities in a primary role. Jalsa takes the cake now – I am being told that this is the first time a person with cerebral palsy has acted in a Hindi movie. Whether that is me or not, is a secondary aspect.”

The actor also shares his experience of working on the film and insists that Amazon and Applause Entertainment ensured the effort was seamless. “Amazon Prime Video, Abundantia Entertainment and the entire team of Jalsa made sure I was comfortable. We had so much joy and laughter together during the workshops, before the shoot began. We played games to build rapport. I played cricket with the whole team and even danced with them. Shooting on the sets was also a fun experience. It was a delight discussing and filming the scenes together.”

Director Triveni elaborates on getting Kasibhatla for his film. “He is the heart of Jalsa. We were clear that we wanted an actor who has this condition. I have known about the condition in close proximity. Due credit must be given to my casting director Anmol Ahuja, he insisted on flying Kaibhatla down from America. And, due credits go to my producer Vikram Malhotra and Abunduntia Entertainment. They actually got him (in India, for the shooting). We made sure that all the precautions were taken care of. We wanted him to get acclimatized much before the shoot began.”

The filmmaker shares that the 13-year-old child spent time with the crew and even trained with them. “We were very sensitive to his needs, but we were not sympathetic. I do not like the idea of differently-abled. They need empathy, not sympathy. We made sure he had access to a doctor 24×7 while shooting. He lived in serviced apartment where he had all the aids to climb up and down on his own. What is great is, how his parents have taught him to be self-reliant. We just did what we could for any fine actor,” Triveni says when asked about special arrangements made for Kasibhatla.

Shefali Shah, who also features in Jalsa, says, “Surya is an amazing person. In my first meeting with him, I was still getting accustomed and trying to understand him. I asked Suresh (director) to leave the two of us alone and he did that. Then I told Surya ‘you have understood the relationship (between their onscreen characters), right?’ He said ‘yea’ and I told him, ‘Now do not say the lines, say what you feel like saying’. And, he stuck to the lines but I think he just got it perfectly. He is so good, when I had scenes with him, I was just watching the kid, not performing.”

“He is not over confident, but he is confident. He is not bitter, he is joyous and funny and he is also introspective. There were times, he’d say I don’t think I did this well. That child is something else. I even tried exchanging my children for him, I really did, but nobody takes my kids,” Shah laughs as she signs off.

(The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.)