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In a different role
Nandita Das at a Press conference in Delhi on Sunday to announce the International Special Film Festival scheduled to begin later this week.
IT WAS a different role that film actress Nandita Das donned here on Sunday when she joined hands with Brotherhood and India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) to announce the forthcoming first International Special Film Festival 2003 at Shakuntalam Theatre from March 14 to 20.
``I am not an ambassador for disability or for that matter, a champion of any one particular issue. It is just a feeling that one should support a good cause,'' she said, while lauding the concept of a film festival on disability issues. A total of 14 films including "Dosti'', "Sparsh'' and "Anjali'' will be screened as part of this week-long festival where foreign films will be shown free of cost in the morning.
Joining Nandita Das on the occasion were the General Manager of ITPO, Safdar H. Khan, S. M. Sajid from Jamia Millia Islamia University, Kunal Verma from Action Aid and Satish Kapoor from Brotherhood. But it was Nandita Das who stole the show as she explained how films have a powerful influence on people and can help change attitudes and shed age-old prejudices towards persons with disability.
``I have watched films like `Sparsh' and `Dosti' and these are good films. We are not claiming that such films can usher in an immediate and total revolution in society. But they do help change attitudes and everyone who comes to watch these films goes home with a message though it is different for different people,'' she said, asserting that "there were only two categories of films -- good and bad''.
However, she admitted people in the film industry do not have the time and patience to consider the ability of persons with disability and are reluctant to involve them in big projects. "The film industry is only a reflection of society. It is important for society as a whole to undergo an attitudinal change,'' she pointed out.
Through the week-long film festival, attempts would be made to project issues and concerns pertaining to the disability sector. There will also be interactive sessions where people would get a chance to voice their opinions on the portrayal of persons with disability in films.
Stating that she had not done the role of a disabled character in films as yet, Nandita Das said she felt close to certain issues and concerns and disability was slowly becoming one of them. "My actress tag is helping me these days to further good causes in society,'' she said, urging people to chip in their mite in the process of mainstreaming persons with disability into the rest of society.
By Kannan K.
Photo: Rajeev Bhatt
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