Different, but no less: A tale of autism, family and ambition

Khaleej Times

21-07-2025

It is only an artiste who creates his work through a life experience. Anupam Kher's recently released film Tanvi The Great, that he has co written, produced, directed and acted in, (He has also written his next book Different But No Less based on the making of the film), is inspired by his niece Tanvi, who is in the autistic spectrum. The film's actor Shubhangi Dutt, who plays Tanvi, is a student from his acting school, An Actor Prepares.
At a family wedding in Gurugram a few years ago, when the entire Kher clan was dancing, celebrating and having fun, he observed his niece had sauntered off. When he followed her, he caught her immersed, looking at the sky. When asked what she was doing, she said that she was looking at her own world. 'Her words threw me off balance. I realised how much I didn't know her world, ' says Kher.
Though he has taught at the Dilkhush Special School and has worked with differently abled children, this thought stayed with him and he decided to make a film around this topic. Kher's first directorial Om Jai Jagadish released in 2002 was a heartwarming story of three brothers in a joint family. Kher had decided then that his second film would have a relevant message combining a cause, family bonds and the love for the nation. 'This film that has actor Pallavi Joshi playing Tanvi's mom, focuses on family bonds, though the main character is autistic,' says Kher.
'For them, we are the odd ones out and not the other way around. Look at most of us - we have become manipulative and mean as a society. In the film industry like everywhere else, you are constantly told how someone else is better than you and you have to keep doing something to be in the news.'
Adds Kher, 'I find differently abled people kinder, more compassionate and filled with innocence, a quality that we have lost completely. I think people with the autism spectrum are far more intelligent and better human beings than us and I wanted to bring out that super power' he adds. So, along with his writers Abhishek Dixit and Ankur Suman, he set out to write the story - the story of a girl in the autistic spectrum who wants to join the Indian Army. The Indian Army incidentally, doesn't have recruits from the spectrum.
Kher plays her grandfather in the film, someone who is bitter due to the loss of his wife and young son who is martyred. A far cry from Kher's own grandpa who was full of life. He recollects a time in childhood when he asked his granddad how the entire joint family was so happy even if they were poor. ' He had said that, for people who are poor, the cheapest luxury is to be happy and we need to celebrate happiness."
Eminent Hollywood actor Robert De Niro attended the film's premiere and Ms Draupadi Murmu, the President of India, sat through the film at a special screening at her official residence, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, lauding the performance. 'We got a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival as well as in London. Perhaps, people identified with the goodness the film radiates,' says Kher. During the making of the film, the crew was instructed to be calm - as in speak to each other politely and kindly, to create an aura of goodness. ' No harsh words were used or hurried activity that made people impatient and scream. It worked.'
So how did the real Tanvi react to the onscreen Tanvi. ' My niece came to the screening. She sang a song too. Usually when you want to hug her, you have to ask for her permission. And she sang Lag Ja Gale … and made us all emotional.'
The film was also shown to the Chief of Army and other soldiers and they all admitted that it made them cry. ' For me, that is heartening,' he says.
While making the film, Kher decided to write the book. I decided to call it Different But No Less, which is a tagline of the film Tanvi The Great. 'The book is not about storms but about sailing through them, not letting anyone else get affected by your predicament but putting your own faith out there and following the greatest GPS God has gifted us - our heart.'
All actors went through workshops conducted by Kher to sensitize them to autism. 'The film is not a blockbuster but it has succeeded in touching hearts. After 40 years of Saaransh (Kher's debut film), I'm getting the same kind of love in this film,' says Kher. 'Thankfully actors survive the long haul, unlike stars.' We agree!