Black - Miracle Worker Of Hellen Keller!

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Ayesha Kapoor, Shernaz Patel, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Nandana Sen

Black is the journey of bringing light into darkness, color to life, and sound and sense to nothing. It is based on the life of Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan. It will bring inspiration to the blind, deaf and many a human being.
The true story of Annie Sullivan's efforts to draw Helen Keller from her world of darkness and silence has been earlier made into a classic drama and movies. In 1962, William Gibson's drama, The Miracle Worker; In 1962, the movie “Miracle Worker” which won Oscar nomination for director Arthur Penn, and Oscars for Anne Bancroft (who played Anne Sullivan) and Patty Duke (who played Helen Keller); In 2000 “Miracle Worker” was made again with Hallie Kate Eisenberg as the young Helen and Alison Elliot excelling in the role of Annie Sullivan. Now Black in 2005 is yet another inspiration from the great life of Helen Keller (1880-1968).


In Black, Sanjay Leela Bhansali adds another dimension by showing the student-teacher relationship as it grows through the student’s adulthood, and the role reversal of the student into a teacher for the now senile ex- teacher.

The miracle worker in Black is Debraj Sahai played by Amitabh Bachchan. The blind and deaf girl, Michelle McNelly, is played by young Ayesha Kapoor, and later by Rani Mukerjee. The movie replicates all scenes of Michelle McNelly’s childhood from the Helen Keller’s story. It transcends after Debraj opens up Michelle’s dark and silent world to knowledge and understanding.


Michelle’s blind and deaf journey from ignorance and wild destructiveness to education and independence is a vision and dream come true for Debraj. In the end, his elation of success comes only after Michelle reaches out in him and breaks his shackles of darkness to draw out his memories, which he lost to Alzheimer’s disease.
The movie exemplifies many overpowering emotions, and extremely well handled scenes. Michelle’s thirst for knowledge, including her desire to understand a kiss is conducted in an aesthetic manner. Amitabh Bachchan’s acting is absolute. He is an actor who can get into any role and epitomize it, but here, he draws upon every emotion for an impeccable performance. Rani Mukerjee shows great depth and come out as a soulful actress, except her Charlie Chaplin walk. Ayesha Kapoor excels in her role. Her portrayal of the conflicts of a blind and deaf child is very convincing. All characters and actors in the movie are perfectionists.


Black, the movie is beautiful. But Sanjay Leela Bhansali blemishes it by not publishing the fact that the role of Michelle McNelly is based on the true life of Helen Keller and that Debraj Sahai is an inspiration of Anne Sullivan’s role in Keller’s life. As a matter of fact, it is insulting to the audience by not acknowledging this true story. This truth would have brought out more light to the life of those in dark and depths of vacuum. It would make the audience believe that this miracle is possible!

Also on http://www.sawf.org/bollywood/reviews/blackreview.asp?pn=Bollywood&cn=32