BENGALURU: in the Ramayana, Kumbhakarna, brother of Ravana, sleeps for six months a year. While Kumbhakarna's case is due to a curse, there are many who suffer from a similar sleeping disorder, which in the modern world is referred to as hypersomnia.
Now, a Kannada movie titled Gentleman, which is set for release on February 7, revolves around the tale of a man who sleeps for 18 hours a day.
Talking about his sleepy venture, director-turned-producer Guru Deshpande says it was his long-time assistant director Jadesh Kumar who penned a script about a man who sleeps for long hours which gets him entangled in a strange situation.
"Ever since we started this project, a lot of people suffering from sleeping disorders contacted us to give us their inputs. One man in particular, a 44-year-old man from Mumbai named Rajeev Bhasin, who has been suffering from hypersomnia from the age of 16, shared his personal experiences. He is presently undergoing medication," says Jadesh Kumar.
Rajeev Bhasin sleep episodes last for 4 to 10 weeks.
"Doctors say that there quite a number of people who face similar problems but only a few of them realise it is an illness that requires medical attention. Sleeping for long hours in a day lasting up to 16 weeks takes a toll on my day-to-day life," Rajeev Bhasin says.
He adds that sometimes his sleeping pattern is almost 15-16 hours a day with the longest being 20 hours which results in fatigue, disorientation and cognitive disorders.
Rajeev learnt about the movie and contacted Guru Deshpande to help in creating awareness of hypersomnia.
Directed by Jadesh Kumar Hampi, Gentleman stars Prajwal Devaraj, Nishvika and others.
