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Now short movies for AIDS awareness

Mumbai, Sat, 07 Jul 2007 NI Wire

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June 07: Directors of different genera have teamed up to produce short films unfolding different aspects of HIV/AIDS. The project has been funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Bollywood director Mira Nair has taken the responsibility to choose some promising director to direct few films of 15 min each.

As per the latest report, there are more than 2.5 million AIDS patients residing across India and the country is the third highest number of patients. The foundation hence wants to capitalize the popularity of Bollywood and Hindi films to spread Aids awareness.

Bill and Melinda Gates foundation contacted Nair and discuss the impact of AIDS and its growing effect in India, Africa and Nigeria. The project has been named as “AIDS jaago or Awake” to wake people up about AIDS.

Initially Nair has selected directors like Vishal Bhardwaj, Santosh Sivan and Farhan Akhtar and given one AIDS topic each. They are given the assignment to make a movie each of 15 minutes in length that will be screened ahead with the release of any block buster Bollywood movie in all theatres.

Mira Nair wants to take the project internationally. Depending on the success of these four films another four directors will be selected to take the series. Also there is plan to translate these movies in other foreign languages for global audience.

Top most Bollywood actors will also associate themselves with those directors to create some excellent movies.

Director Vishal Bharadwaj is going to direct a movie named “Blood Brothers”. It is about the psychological impact of the infection and how to live a positive life with AIDS. On the other hand Farhan Akhtar is making a film about Sex education and AIDS. Nair on herself is making a movie titled “Migration” that deals with AIDS and migrant laborers.

This seems a great project and as these movies will be screened with other popular movies in Cinema halls it can cover a wider audience. This kind of effort definitely would be effective in getting the message out.