SRK has Asperger's

Aamir Khan wowed the audiences when he tackled the serious topic of dyslexia in his directorial debut Taare Zameen Par, and now Karan Johar too has taken up a serious physical disorder in his upcoming film My Name is Khan.

Shah Rukh Khan who plays the lead role in the movie suffers from the Asperger's Syndrome. The director has developed the character with the help of some high-class research put in by the writer of the film Shibani Bhatija.

In his latest blog on mynameiskaran.com, the director says, "Rizvan Khan, the protagonist in the film, suffers from Asperger's Syndrome (high-functioning Autism) and Shibani Bhatija, the screenplay writer of the film has researched this disorder very accurately and I can't wait to see Shah Rukh portray it. The message that runs right through the film is in strong support of humanity..."

On the meticulous research she has put in for the film, Shibani Bhatija says, "I have a huge selection of books on Asperger's Syndrome. Karan and I also met people affected by the disorder."

While Aamir's film TZP told parents and teachers how to deal with kids with dyslexia, will My Name is Khan instruct people with Asperger's how to tackle the disorder? Says Shibani, "If they have the right counselling, they will be able to adjust. Riz's character signifies what you can do even when a child has Asperger's."

Apsperger What?
Asperger's syndrome is the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in which there is no general delay in language or cognitive development. Physical clumsiness and atypical use of language are frequently reported. Asperger's Syndrome is named after Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who, in 1944, described children in his practice who lacked non-verbal communication skills, demonstrated limited empathy with their peers, and were physically clumsy.