MOVIES

Ashok Kumar Foundation helps slain cops

By A Ganesh Nadar in Mumbai
December 17, 2008 13:21 IST

The Ashok Kumar Foundation screened 68 Pages, a film on HIV/AIDS awareness, at Mumbai's National Centre for the Performing Arts on December 12.

Guests were encouraged to donate for the families of 11 poor police constables who died in the terrorist attack on Mumbai.

"We will go with Joint Commissioner Rakesh Maria's wife to the 11 policemen's home and personally give the cheque only to the widow," said Bharati, Ashok Kumar's eldest daughter who looks a lot like her illustrious father. 

Among other attendees at the events were the Hindi movie legend's granddaughter Anooradha, her husband Kanwaljeet Singh, Bharati's daughter-in-law Kiran and other family, friends and well wishers. 

The 92-minute film is directed by Sridhar Rangayan for the Hamsafar trust, which works with gays and HIV patients in Mumbai.

The Hindi language film -- with subtitles in English -- is based on the life of an HIV counselor and the trauma she experiences working with the patients. It portrays the shock people undergo when they first come to know about their condition, and then traces their fightback -- both against the disease and the society which isolates them.

The film has won the the Silver Remi award at WorldFest Houston International Film Festival. "But we cannot release it in India because no distributor wants to touch it," said Rangayan.

A Ganesh Nadar in Mumbai

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