World Alzheimer’s Day: How popular culture shapes stigma and awareness

Hyderabad: Every year on World Alzheimer’s Day (September 21), the focus rightly falls on awareness, diagnosis and caregiving. But popular culture, the stories we consume through film, television and books, also plays a decisive role in shaping how society perceives Alzheimer’s disease.

Sometimes it reduces stigma by showing dignity in decline; other times it reinforces fear and stereotypes. Examining how cinema and literature portray Alzheimer’s gives us insight into public imagination and what still needs correction.

Why stories shape understanding

Medical definitions describe Alzheimer’s as a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. But for most people, the first ‘lesson’ comes not from a doctor but from a film scene, a novel or a TV storyline.

This means cultural portrayals set expectations: Will a loved one forget suddenly? Will they become violent? Or will they still remain themselves, albeit changed?

“Films and novels are often the public’s first teachers about dementia,” said Dr Shailaja Reddy, speaking to NewsMeter, a Hyderabad-based neurologist who works with families of early-stage patients. “If they show extremes, families walk in expecting only those extremes. If they show nuance, people learn patience.”

Global Cinema: Tools to portray memory loss

International cinema has experimented with different narrative devices to represent memory loss:

Subjective storytelling: Films that shift timelines, alter sets, or confuse identities mimic the patient’s disorientation, helping viewers feel the confusion from inside.

Relationship focus: Others centre on spouses or children, highlighting the slow erosion of shared memories.

Care dilemmas: Some storylines focus on the painful choice between home care and institutionalisation, reflecting real debates families face.

These approaches succeed when they show process rather than spectacle. When they reduce Alzheimer’s to a sudden twist, they risk oversimplification.

Indian Cinema: Family as the frame

Bollywood has rarely treated Alzheimer’s as a central subject, but regional films, particularly in Malayalam and Kannada, have attempted more grounded depictions.

In films like Thanmathra, the decline of a middle-class father is shown not only as a medical issue but as a reordering of household dynamics, son becoming caretaker, wife navigating financial stress, and relatives struggling with denial.

Such portrayals resonate in India because caregiving is usually a family responsibility, not a state-provided service. By framing the disease through everyday rituals, meals, school fees, and household bills, these films make the impact concrete.

“Indian cinema often couches Alzheimer’s in the language of duty and sacrifice,” observed Prof Arvind Rajan, who teaches film studies. “That mirrors our culture, but it can also trap caregivers into silence because asking for outside help is seen as weakness.”

Literature: Entering the mind itself

Novels offer something cinema cannot: sustained access to interior thought. Writers who attempt Alzheimer’s narratives often use fragmented prose, looping sentences, or shifting narrators to echo cognitive decline. Some books are written from the perspective of the person with dementia, others from caregivers who record daily struggles.

This approach humanises the patient: instead of being reduced to “someone who forgets,” they are shown trying to reason, to hold on, to adapt. Readers often come away with empathy for the small victories, recalling a face, recognising a smell, that rarely make it into film scripts.

Common Patterns: What culture gets right and wrong

Often done well:

• Emotional truth of relationships: cinema and novels capture the grief, guilt, and tenderness that families experience.

• Showing that Alzheimer’s is progressive: the gradual layering of forgetfulness, not a single incident, is often highlighted.

Often misleading:

• Compressed timelines: a few weeks in a film may suggest a condition that actually unfolds over years.

• Overemphasis on violence or wandering: these exist, but when exaggerated, they reinforce stigma.

• Ignoring cultural context: Many global films assume formal caregiving systems exist, which is far from reality in countries like India.

Expert perspectives on storytelling

“Popular culture must strike a balance,” said Dr Meenakshi Varma, a geriatric psychiatrist. “Too much sugar-coating is dishonest, but portraying only decline is cruel. Families need both truth and hope.”

Activists also stress the role of accurate portrayals. Rukmini Rao, who runs a dementia support group in Hyderabad, explains: “When a character onscreen recognises an old song or responds to touch, audiences learn that life with Alzheimer’s still has meaning. That reduces shame and encourages families to bring loved ones into social spaces instead of hiding them.”

Ethical questions for creators

When filmmakers and writers approach Alzheimer’s, a few questions can guide responsible storytelling:

• Whose story is it? Is the person with dementia given voice, or are they sidelined for the caregiver’s pain?

• Is the portrayal accurate over time? Showing sudden collapse may be dramatic but it distorts reality.

• Does it reinforce stigma or open conversation? Are patients shown as burdens, or as people still capable of joy?

Responsible works often emerge from consultation with medical professionals and caregivers, ensuring both realism and dignity.

Moving Forward: Culture as a tool for awareness

World Alzheimer’s Day reminds us that medicine and policy cannot act alone. Cinema, literature, and even television serials have a role in shifting attitudes. India, with its growing elderly population, needs more nuanced portrayals that balance duty with practical realities, and memory loss with moments of retained humanity.

Stories, when responsibly told, can encourage earlier diagnosis, reduce stigma, and even influence families to seek support systems rather than struggle in silence.