Shekhar Kapur reveals he is ‘completely dyslexic’; shares ‘lessons of life’

National Award-winning filmmaker Shekhar Kapur - whose latest film, a British romantic comedy drama, titled What’s Love Got To Do With It, released in India in March 2023 - recently took to social media to make a rare revelation about his health and personal life. The critically acclaimed filmmaker revealed that he suffers from dyslexia and also has attention deficit disorder.

“Lessons of Life: I am completely dyslexic and have intense ADD. I don’t know what else! Thank God there were no special schools for kids like me when I was growing up. They would have beaten out all the rebellion in me. Certainly would not have made any films. Or been creative”, he tweeted recently. 

In response to this post, several users came forward to share their views. Although most Twitterati agreed with Shekhar, one user seemed to have a different opinion. “Schools don’t make or break a child’s future. Ultimately it is the talent of the child that takes her to wherever she wants. There are many highly successful people out there who didn’t go to great schools”, the user wrote. 

Also read: Shekhar Kapur on metaverse in cinema: It can take narratives to frontiers that we have never explored before

Reacting to that, another user said, “The issue isn’t so simple. You were perhaps lucky your school kept you. For thousands of other children with special abilities or needs are denied admission every day. It’s not about special schools, it’s about regular schools being inclusive”. 

Also read: Shekhar Kapur reveals plans to make an ‘Indian equivalent to Harry Potter’

“Schools for Special aid children are blessing for those parents who has child with disability! Dyslexia or ADD may sound minor disorder for some but it's a punishment for those parents whose children suffer the severity of this disorder!”, wrote a user. 

On the work front, Shekhar’s latest film What’s Love Got To Do With It featured an ensemble cast - including Shabana Azmi, Emma Thompson, Lily James, Shazad Latif, Sajal Aly, Oliver Chris, Asim Chaudhry, Jeff Mirza and Alice Orr-Ewing. Meanwhile, recently he also revealed plans to work on a new project, which will be the ‘Indian equivalent’ to JK Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise. The director told The Times of India, “I am actually planning a project, which is kind of like the Indian Harry Potter. I’m not making Harry Potter. But the Indian equivalent to it. Same genre. That genre of Harry Potter because I think in India, with the market we have, we are so used to things that are otherworldly. We’ve grown up with those kinds of stories. I am now developing and probably will make a film franchise like Harry Potter, that comes out of India and not the West.”

Also read: What's Love Got To Do With It review: Shekhar Kapur's film barely justifies the title