Ek Alag Mausam A Filim on AIDS

[Guest guest]

Raunchy Bollywood grows a conscience

By: Shaheen Parkar. November 24, 2003

Though there are a plethora of groups working with the marginalised

sections of society, Action Aid India, a non-governmental

organisation, hopes to set a trend. It plans to enter Bollywood with

issue-based commercial films.

Ek Alag Mausam, their maiden venture, is a beginning in this

direction. " At the moment the film is awaiting censor certification, "

said Jerry Almeida, the New Delhi-based CEO of Action Aid India.

Produced under the Action Aid banner, Ek Alag Mausam is the first-

ever attempt in India of a film made on AIDS with a well-known cast,

claims Almeida.

The film stars Anupam Kher, Nandita Das, Rajit Kapur and Renuka

Shahane. It has been written by playwright-turned-filmmaker Mahesh

Dattani and directed by P Sasi, the award-winning director of the

Malayalam film, Illayum Mullum.

The music is by the legendary Ravi, the lyrics by the late Kaifi Azmi

and Sushma Ahuja, and the playback by Hariharan, Anuradha Paudwal and

Anupam Kher. The film, funded by Action Aid, had the cast taking only

token honorariums.

Ek Alag Mausam is a story about four individuals — a doctor, a

patient, a volunteer and the child of a commercial sex worker, who

are inextricably linked by the HIV virus and the sense of loss that

is brought about as a result.

Almeida categorises the film as a developmental crossover film. " It

is inspired by real-life incidents of AIDS victims in the country.

Action Aid is looking at making such kind of films which appeal to

the Indian as well as global audience, " he said. " We would like to

encourage such films and invite people who have concepts which are

issue-based and can be made into films to come forward. "

Using popular entertainment to highlight issues like AIDS, drugs,

homelessness, child rights and prostitution is seen as an ideal way

to sensitise people as well as raise funds for various causes.

" We have already sold the music and distribution rights of Ek Alag

Mausam. We hope to raise funds between Rs 30 and Rs 50 lakh from this

in the next year after recovering our investment of Rs 50 lakh, " said

Almeida, who chucked up a lucrative marketing consultant career to

plunge into Action Aid India.

The NGO is also planning a series on the tribals of India along with

a TV channel. There are also talks on a show about human rights

violation based on Unheard Voices by Harsh Mander, published by

Penguin.

http://web.mid-day.com/news/city/2003/november/69535.htm