Entertainment | Film & Cinema
'Indian cinema is so powerful'
So says director Mira Nair. She hopes that some of that power can be used in the fight against HIV/Aids.
- By Jyoti Kalsi, Gulf News Report
- Published: 23:31 December 12, 2007
- Indian cinema is so powerful and invigorating and the movies and actors have a strong influence on people, says Mira Nair.
- Image Credit: Vazhisojan/Gulf News
So says director Mira Nair. She hopes that some of that power can be used in the fight against HIV/Aids.
Can cinema make a difference? Mira Nair believes it can. “Indian cinema is so powerful and invigorating and the movies and actors have a strong influence on people. I wanted to use this power and the love of cinema to wake people up. Jaago is Hindi for 'wake up' and my film quartet is titled Aids Jaago because we want to make people aware about HIV and Aids,'' she said at a press conference preceding the red carpet gala screening of the film at DIFF on Wednesday.
“I am thankful to DIFF for bringing the film here and helping us reach a wider audience,'' added Nair.
She explained that a year ago she was approached by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help in increasing awareness about Aids, which is threatening to reach pandemic proportions in India. “I proposed that I would produce a series of short films and ask some of my favourite directors to make them. The idea was not to make preachy, boring films, but to use the appeal of Bollywood films and big stars to make chalu (street-wise), savvy and sexy films that got the message across in a dramatic, entertaining way,'' she said.
“I was happy that Farhan Akhtar, Vishal Bharadwaj and Santosh Sivan agreed to join me in this project,'' she added.
Living positively
The directors were given complete creative freedom. And the result is four engrossing and entertaining short films that highlight different facets of the problem. Nair's film, Migration, shows how the deadly virus is a great leveller across rural-urban and class divides.
Bharadwaj's film Blood Brothers talks about living positively with Aids. Santosh Sivan deals with the stigma associated with the disease in his film, Prarambha (The Beginning) and Farhan Akhtar depicts the impact of the disease on a middle class family in Positive. “We tried to make the films visual and non-verbal so that they could reach out to audiences across India,'' said Nair.
Actresses against Aids
The four Aids Jaago films boast well-known stars such as Shabana Azmi, Boman Irani, Shiney Ahuja, Irfan Khan, Ayesha Takia and Prabhu Deva.
Actresses Ramya and Raima Sen (who are not related), who are also part of the cast, were present at the press conference. Both said that despite concerns about affecting their popular image, they were happy to be part of the project. "I have always played the sweet girl next door but I don't mind being in a movie about Aids to get the message across," said Ramya. Raima Sen welcomed the opportunity of working with Nair. "It was wonderful to work with her and be part of something socially relevant," she said.
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