At times, some people lose themselves and transform into complete strangers. Severe childhood trauma can lead to the fragmentation of their very identity, with each piece developing into an independent personality within the individual’s mind. This unique condition is called ‘Dissociative Identity Disorder,’ commonly known as DID. Unfortunately, very few people have much knowledge about this condition. With limited awareness of mental health issues, such conditions can be challenging to understand, often resulting in a lack of empathy for those who suffer from it. As India, as a nation, works towards spreading awareness about mental health, complex matters like DID need to be handled delicately and with caution, avoiding ridicule.
This is where movies play a crucial role. Movies serve a larger purpose beyond mere entertainment; they are instrumental in shaping perceptions and educating the masses about sensitive topics, such as mental disorders. Realistic depictions are vital. Many films, both in India and abroad, explore the intricate workings of our minds, the triggers behind them, and the associated psychoses. If you want to learn more, here are five films you should check out before the release of Chandramukhi 2 this Friday. You can catch them at your nearest PVR or INOX cinemas!
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
If there’s a movie that perfectly shows society’s ill-treatment of the mentally ill and its habit of mistaking Dissociative Identity Disorder as ‘possession’, it’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa. The film has rightly depicted how childhood trauma can break a person’s mind to pieces, each shard shaping into a personality of its own. Watching Avni slowly take up the persona of Manjulika freaked many of us.
Joker
A person suffering from depression can tuck away sad thoughts in his mind. This often slowly eats away at their consciousness, prematurely ending their lives or sanity. Joaquin Phoenix as Joker has us hooked with his slow and steady downward spiral to madness. Watching him trying to make people laugh as a clown while dying slowly within made us tear up. The end also leaves us with a question: should we fight or give in?
Black Swan
This film will boggle you and have you coming back to understand it better. Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina who wins her dream role, The White Swan. Things change, and there may be a better dancer. This spirals Nina into a dark hole, worsening her OCD and resulting in psychosis, hallucinations and paranoia. The film shows the chain of disorder that can start when one ignores or doesn’t take care of their illness.
WATCH: Chandramukhi 2 – Trailer (Tamil) | Ragava, Kangana Ranaut | P Vasu | MM Keeravaani | Subaskaran
Barfi!
Priyanka Chopra pleasantly surprised us as an autistic Jhilmil in Barfi! Pure, sweet and innocent, Jhilmil is blissfully unaware of her situation and just wants to play with her friend and faux kidnapper, the deaf and mute Barfi. Priyanka has perfectly depicted the complexity of autistic minds, winning hearts with the innocence and purity of the character.
Chandramukhi 2 (releasing on 28th September)
Chandramukhi 2’s trailer gives us Bhool Bhulaiyaa vibes with similar old Indian aesthetics. Sequel to Chandramukhi, the Telugu film stars Kangana Ranaut as a woman suffering from Dissociative Personality Disorder, known by many as Multi Personality Disorder. Being from an affluent family, her condition affects her family, and a psychiatrist is bought in, but things go south.