With no background music or subtitles, the 45-minute movie, titled Home is based on the editing techniques and expressions of the actors to raise the adrenalin of the viewers. The film has been has been scripted, directed and edited by the hearing impaired of the city. Even the actors in the movie are the hearing impaired from the city.
“This is our second film. We have worked a lot on our expressions because that is the most essential thing that binds a movie. With no background music, expressions become very important,” said Rajesh Ketkar, the director of the film and a member of the Mook Badhir Mandal.
He said the decision not to use music and subtitles is not an abrupt one. “We didn’t use music or subtitles because they are of no use to us. We want the public, who are able to hear and depend so much on sounds, to understand how we feel when we glare at the TV screen without comprehending anything,” he said.
He said sign is also a language and their movie is much like a foreign movie with subtitles. “These are small attempts to make us feel a part of society,” said Ketkar.
He further said their second bid is just a beginning to their world of sound and action. “I want to make animated films for deaf children and many other such movies which will at least have a comprehensible source of recreation for the deaf,” said Ketkar.
A yearly calendar in sign language
The Mook Badhir Mandal has come up with a yearly calendar of its own. The calendar has been formed exquisitely in sign language. “There are so many cultures in India and every state has its unique culture and a different calendar to fit that. Ours is a culture as well — the sign culture, and the calendar has been made using only signs,” said Rajesh Ketkar, a member of the Mook Badhir Mandal.