Amal Neerad’s Bougainvillea on October 17: What is retrograde amnesia?

Director Amal Neerad's Kunchako Boban - Jyotirmayi starrer thriller ‘Bougainvillea’ is set to hit theatres on October 17, and the film's two songs released a few weeks ago have already impressed his fans. The movie is co-scripted by renowned Malayalam writer Lajo Jose, known for thrillers like ‘Ruthinte Lokam,’ ‘Coffee House’ and ‘Hydranchia’ which have a cult following. Taking a hint from the lyrics of the two songs the team has released, fans are already speculating that ‘Bougainvillea' is inspired by or based on Lajo’s novel ‘Ruthinte Lokam’ (The World of Ruth), which has a retrograde amnesia patient as the main character. Though the team hasn't commented on this, fans of the ‘Amal Neerad cinematic universe’ are excited to experience how he will translate the movie into the visual language. 

As for retrograde amnesia, possibly the health condition of the lead character in the film, it refers to loss of memory for information acquired before the onset of amnesia, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is apparently caused by damage or disruption to parts of the brain involved in memory, like the hippocampus, temporal lobes, or other related regions. There are different approaches to treating and managing it depending on its severity. 
Do amnesia patients forget themselves?
Though movies and television showcase amnesia as a condition that makes you forget your identity, the Mayo Clinic says that's not the case in real life. Those with amnesia or amnestic syndrome are apparently aware of who they are but might struggle with learning new information and forming new memories.