Netflix s Ahaan Steers Clear of Sermons to Prioritise Person Over Performer
Nikhil Pherwaniâs debut film dignifies an unacknowledged dream.
A poster for Netflix s Ahaan .
Film18 hours ago
The first shot is of a young man sneaking into his fatherâs bedroom. He slips his feet in a black leather shoe. Wears a blazer and admires himself in the mirror. Smiles, poses, brushes his hair. Takes his spectacles off and strikes another pose. Ahaan (Abuli Mamaji) is imagining himself as a white-collar worker: a life heâs never had â a life he craves. But before he could plan his future, his past â his family, his âdisorderâ â decided on his behalf, for he has Down Syndrome. Nikhil Pherwaniâs debut,
Abuli Mamaji in Ahaan (2021) | Will Finds A Way Films/Netflix
Ahaan (Abuli Mamaji) is 25 years old and like many young men, dreams of a steady job, a nice house, a wife and two children. For now, Ahaan helps his home chef mother (Shilpa Mehta) with her deliveries. His father (Kaizaad Kotwal) is an stroppy man with little affection towards Ahaan, who has Down syndrome.
Among other places, Ahaan delivers his mother’s home-made brownies to Anu (Niharika Singh) and Ozzy (Arif Zakaria). This childless couple is having troubles of their own, stemming mainly from Ozzy’s obsessive-compulsive disorder. Anu sees Ahaan as a sweet boy, while Ozzy is rattled by him. Ahaan’s conduct and attitude often causes those around him – including a cute neighbour (Plabita Borthakur) – to misinterpret his inexperience and guilelessness.
Ahaan Review: Lead Actor Abuli Mamaji, Who Has Down Syndrome, Lends The Film Authenticity
Ahaan Review: Lead Actor Abuli Mamaji, Who Has Down Syndrome, Lends The Film Authenticity
Ahaan Review: It is easy to warm up to the actor because not only is there something overwhelmingly charming about him, he is also a man who clearly enjoys acting in front of the camera.
A still from the film Ahaan.(Image courtesy: YouTube)
Cast: Abuli Mamaji, Arif Zakaria, Niharika Singh, Rajit Kapur and Plabita Borthakur
Director: Nikhil Pherwani
First-time director Nikhil Pherwani s
Ahaan, streaming on Netflix, is a sweet little film that achieves much more than sweet little films are usually known to do. It tells the story of a free-spirited, fun-loving special needs youngster. But that isn t what sets it apart from other Indian movies that centre on characters with developmental disabilities.
Ahaan Rating: 3/5
Almost over a month after its limited theatrical release in India, Nikhil Pherwani s Ahaan has now come to Netflix. This isn t like your every second Bollywood masala film, but it definitely carries elements of surprise, drama and fun in the most heartwarming way. Bollywood has often put Alzheimer s, dyslexia and progeria under the spotlight, rarely the attention has been on down syndrome which affects at least 30,000 newborns every year in India. Director Nikhil Pherwani turns the light on this rarely talked about condition and couples it with another condition named obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Sounds heavy right? Well, it s not! Starring Arif Zakaria as Ozzy and Abuli Mamaji as Ahaan, Pherwani creates a collision of these two worlds and keeps you invested in this feel-good story. While Bollywood has only picked actors to play characters with certain conditions, Pherwani made the brave choice to cast Abuli Mamaji, a young man with down syndrome in th