Mira Nair: spreading AIDS awareness the entertaining way

New Delhi, Jan 22 (UNI) Spreading awareness about social issues through "boring documentaries" indulging in "preaching and sermonising" is passe! A new initiative which eschews the use of ''public service announcements and educational programmes'' in favour of the more ''dramatic, contemporary and entertaining'' medium of cinema to dissemminate information about and encourage people to fight against the AIDS menace, was launched in the capital today.

In the vanguard of the innovative programme, titled 'AIDS Jaagi', is renowned international filmmaker of Indian origin Mira Nair, who has joined hands with Avahan, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to spread the urgent message about the fight against HIV through the medium of film.

Under the initiative, Mira Nair has joined hands with renowned filmmakers Santosh Sivan, Vishal Bhardwaj and Farhan Akhtar to produce and distribute a series of short blockbuster style motion pictures to dissemminate to the public knowledge about AIDS and help encourage healthier attitudes about the disease.

Shooting of the first in the series of 12-minute films by Santosh Sivan will begin later this month while the shooting of the Mira Nair film will begin in the beginning of next month.

Work on the other two films, by Vishal Bhardwaj and Farhan Akhtar, will also begin soon.

Speaking at a press meet in the Capital to announce the launch of the initiative, where filmmakers Santosh Sivan and Vishal Bhardwaj were also present, Mira Nair said,''the aim is to put across the message of fight against HIV in an entertaining and dramatic manner to give it a wider reach compared to the sober and more traditional public service announcements or educational outreach and training classes.'' ''The uniqueness of the initiative will be that unlike the dducational documentaries and programmes, these films will look to spready message of AIDS through a piece of entertaining and exciting cinema, this immediately attracting the attention of the public,''she said.

Speaking on the occasion, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj said,''the aim of the films is not to preach (or otherwise one is likely to bore people) but entertain them and in between the film put across the message of fight against AIDS subtly.'' In keeping with the objective of ensuring a wide reach for these films, Mira's film in Hindi, titled 'Migration', will feature a host of popular Bollywood stars like Shiny Ahuja, Irrfan Khan and Sameera Reddy. The film by Santosh Sivan, yet untitled will feature the popular South India star Prabhudeva.

The films by Vishal Bhardwaj and Farhan Akhtar are still in the scripting stage.

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