Images

Why is Shah Rukh Khan playing a man with dwarfism in Zero?

Why is Shah Rukh Khan playing a man with dwarfism in Zero?

In a time when representation matters, why weren't actors with dwarfism given a role made for them?
Updated 21 Dec, 2018

In May 2016, it was revealed that Shah Rukh Khan is taking on a major acting challenge. He will be playing a man with dwarfism in film Zero.

Director Anand L Rai had spoken about his collaboration with SRK saying, "He has seen life not just as an actor but also as a person. It's the story of a man who is just three-feet-one-inch tall. Nobody understands ordinariness better than Mr Khan. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the dwarf avatar."

The film is now close to its release date, with posters, teasers and trailers already out. But with each sneak peak, we grew more and more uncomfortable with the idea of Shah Rukh Khan taking up the role he did.

Also, this.

Can't dignify this
Can't dignify this

It's 2018. We have learned enough about the importance of representation to know that Shah Rukh Khan playing Bauua Singh is not okay. And we're rattling our brain to figure out why he was cast in this role. Whatever justification we'd try to come up with, we'd have an answer as to why that's as ridiculous as Zero's casting.

Is it because they couldn't find an actor with dwarfism?

Are there no actors with dwarfism that could've taken up the role of Bauua Singh? Were the makers so strapped for an actor they thought "Hey, let's get SRK and CGI him short"?

Remember KK Goswami? He's around
Remember KK Goswami? He's around

There are numerous actors in India with dwarfism such as KK Goswami from the classic show Ssh... Koi hai and Dekh Bhai Dekh actor and writer MM Faruqi - also known as Lilliput.

Actors with dwarfism are usually restricted to either pantomimes like Snow White and the seven Dwarves and the way Goswami was in Shaktiman or they are used for comedic relief, the joke usually being that they have dwarfism. We've had an unfortunately recent incident like this with the 2016 Lux Style Awards.

Sorry, not over this
Sorry, not over this

Faruqi has spoken up on many occasions the hardships he felt as an artist with dwarfism in the entertainment industry.

"For the last one year, I have been making the rounds of producers’ offices with two scripts. Some say, ‘Dekhenge, sochenge,’ while others are blunt, ‘Baune uthke chale aate hain director banne," he'd revealed to Mumbai Mirror in 2017.

He added the stereotype is strong, with even top stars of Bollywood - he wouldn't name who - would say "Accha, you can do serious roles also, I thought dwarfs were apt for only comedy.”

Actors like MM Faruqi, who aren't even given fair opportunities behind the camera, are seen as lesser beings.because of their heights. "Every day I feel wasted as an artiste and that’s my biggest regret.”

MM Faruqi has been alienated from the industry and for what?
MM Faruqi has been alienated from the industry and for what?

Rarely does the global entertainment industry get powerful characters for actors with dwarfism. Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage - who in many films has played characters where his dwarfism is not what defines him - is the exception, not the rule and even he's had quite the struggle getting to where he is now.

For Shah Rukh Khan to take on this role is to deepen the stereotype that people with dwarfism have no place within the entertainment industry except as items of ridicule.

Is it because of the star factor?

We get it, we really do. You need a recognisable face to get the audience's attention and a high-profile actor to get the ratings. SRK is both and then some. But did Anand L Rai really need to cast good ol' Shah Rukh as a man with dwarfism to get the hits for Zero?

Let's talk about the rest of the cast. We have Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif as the two leading women of Zero, each with a large following of their own.

Plenty of star power there
Plenty of star power there

The film also boasts cameos of Om Shanti Om level, with Rani Mukerji, Kajol, Karisma Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and the late Sri Devi having noticeable screen time, along with Salman Khan who has a song in the flick with Bauua.

Not even half of the cameos okay??
Not even half of the cameos okay??

Don't know about you but that's ample amount of star power for a movie to have a lead be someone new... and appropriate for the role.

SRK could've made a cameo himself. This roster could have supported a new face in the industry who would've actually been someone to admire for bringing on the representation that is so needed right now.

Was Shah Rukh Khan what the character demanded?

Was Shah Rukh Khan bringing something to the table that no one else was? Were his acting skills so unique for the role that it had to be him?

We saw the trailer. SRK acts like SRK. Mind you, we enjoy the King Khan persona every now and then, but it doesn't set Bauua Singh apart from anything we've seen before.

You telling me that no one can do this?
You telling me that no one can do this?

Also, SRK's body language is all CGI. You know, because they had to make him short? So where is the acting quality in all of this?

Shah Rukh's style is one that can be and has been emulated by thousands. Even Hugh Jackman has claimed to channel his energy for live performances. Had they actually auditioned actors with dwarfism and said, "we need some King Khan style there," they could've easily gotten someone on board.

Was there a huge budget for VFX?

When you become desperate for logic, you might wonder if there was a team that wanted to show off their VFX talent... by shortening someone's height.

Anand L Rai spoke about the VFX in Zero saying, "I am the last person who should have done a film like Zero because it is high on VFX. It has been a horrifying journey for the VFX team. I have survived the journey only because they love me and I have exploited that love."

Well, they did it wrong then, because SRK does not look like a person with dwarfism. The team behind SRK's design just shortened him proportionately. As Lilliput told The Quint when watching the trailer, "He looks short, but nothing like a dwarf. The body structure of a dwarf is nothing like this, the limbs are different."

So not only did they not cast a person with dwarfism, they didn't make Shah Rukh Khan look like a person with dwarfism. Is the body of a person with dwarfism too unappealing for the industry? Also, just an FYI, casting a person with dwarfism as the lead would have greatly reduced the film's budget. You could've gotten another cameo on board.

Did they just not care?

Did Anand L Rai really have a reason to bring a character with dwarfism into the spotlight?

According to the director, "I wanted to celebrate Zero; I wanted to celebrate the incompleteness in people. There is nothing great in being a complete person. There is a beauty to incompleteness. We all are humans and Zero comes from there."

People with dwarfism do not see themselves as incomplete, they are shown that way. As is the case with most disabilities, their scant representation in the media — where they struggle carrying on with their normal lives and being an 'inspiration' to us all — further demeans their disability showing it as a burden to the non-disabled. Late activist Stella Young pointed out at numerous occasions how people with disabilities are viewed as 'objects of inspiration'. The inspiration solely being their disability is exploitative and alienates them from the rest of humanity.

The objectifying of one's disability is never viewed in a positive light for the person but rather another group of people who look at them for their own motivation. Disability should not be seen as an exception from the norm. And guess what? The biggest struggle that disabled people suffer through isn't going along with their daily lives, it's the discrimination they face by the non-disabled. Because people with dwarfism see themselves as people who just have a genetic variant.

While Anand may have said he doesn't want people to sympathise with his characters, his talk on incompleteness implies otherwise. He may have spoken about celebrating the ordinary with Zero but when he didn't cast the very ordinary person he wants to celebrate, it makes us wonder if it's all just a cash grab.

We've had conversations about inclusivity all throughout 2018, and now it is ending with Zero, a film that excludes the very people that its lead is based on.


Zero releases today on December 21, 2018.

Comments

Kamran Dec 21, 2018 11:41am
Very well written. Raises all the right questions.
Recommend (0)
Dilip Thorat Dec 21, 2018 11:57am
Not only sharukh, but 98% of the Bollywood is selfish. Mainly Kapoor's and Khan's.
Recommend (0)
Rubina Dec 21, 2018 12:02pm
A fair and balanced criticism.
Recommend (0)
Ahsan Dec 21, 2018 12:14pm
Exactly what I thought when I watched the trailer. Good job pointing it out and creating awareness.
Recommend (0)
Irfan UK Dec 21, 2018 03:18pm
I think the Pakistani dramas (Pathwari) give good decent roles to actors like Kudo where they make you laugh but at the same time give Kudo good roles and all the respect he deserves and treat them in the dramas same as a normal height person without any discrimination so thank you guys.
Recommend (0)
Ravi Dec 21, 2018 03:18pm
Nice article. I stopped watching Bollywood movies with just star actors long back.
Recommend (0)
Sanjeev Dec 21, 2018 09:10pm
1. Audience reach out 2. Saleability of movie I am no fan of SRK, but what’s harm if SRK is doing this role? Movie maker, who has whole responsibility for success of movie, has right to pick his choices. I think, my concern would be if SRK has done justice to the role or not instead. OR if effects are not good enough to feel the character it should be, then it would be bad choice; and should have gone to real person. In general, our favourite job is to criticize or teach players how to play while watching on TV, no nothing new.
Recommend (0)
Hussain Dec 21, 2018 09:34pm
There is nothing wring with this. Stop complaining about trivial issues. If SK was not in the movie no on would come see it. You wound not be writing an article about it for sure. Find something better to complain about.
Recommend (0)
Raja Parekh Dec 22, 2018 09:05am
An horrible movie. You can sleep through entire movie.
Recommend (0)
Sure ahmed Dec 22, 2018 09:59am
SRK TRYING VERY HARD TO GET NATIONAL AWARD ON HIS HAND ?
Recommend (0)
Starsh Dec 22, 2018 11:15am
If I had to rate this article I'd rate it Zero!!! The real reason why a real dwarf person wasn't signed was as simple as saying why wassnt a real wrestler casted in Sultan instead of salman khan
Recommend (0)
Naveef Dec 22, 2018 02:22pm
You need star power to make such film a commercial success. I see nothing wrong with that.
Recommend (0)
ABCD Dec 22, 2018 09:13pm
Burphy is a classic in spite of being a hard story. Why not Zero too? However a movie depends on many factors. Even Ramesh Sippy sir must not have thought that Sholay could become a cult item.
Recommend (0)
Ali Ranmal Dec 22, 2018 09:26pm
Good article written. This is just to collect cash in the name of SRK.
Recommend (0)
Ahsan Danish Dec 23, 2018 02:18pm
its all about money my dear they cast sharukh just to make Zero hit,,
Recommend (0)
Wajahat Ali Dec 24, 2018 12:01am
desperately waiting for its release
Recommend (0)
imurs Dec 24, 2018 01:09am
Why KGF is not releasing here, Pakistan people support the great content movie.
Recommend (0)
Rizwan Dec 24, 2018 11:43am
SRK was a superhero and super start but now due to his age and wrong selection of role his past few movies have been floop .I being one of his loyal fans suggest its time he should take retirement from coming as Hero in movies .He should go on the path of Amitab batchan he can be side hero or plan and roll in addition to Hero.
Recommend (0)