Gulzar writes, Shaan sings for music video on AIDS

Calcutta News.Net
Wednesday 3rd December, 2008 (IANS)

Two famous Bollywood names - Gulzar and Shaan - have come together for a music video to spread awareness about AIDS, especially among youth.

'We certainly expect the music video to get the desired response. The lyrics by Gulzar sahab are really good and will help in educating people about the disease,' National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) director general K. Sujatha Rao told IANS.

While Shaan has given his voice for the song, Shantanu Moitra is the music director of the video, 'Yahan Kuch Sapne Rahte Hain, Tumhare Apne Rahte Hain'.

Produced jointly by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health of the US and NACO, the music video hopes to educate people and dispel stigma about the disease.

The target audience of this music video is youth, but it also aims to cut across age, gender, class and geographical divide.

'Realising that youth are at risk but are averse to being preached to, the universal language of music was used as a medium to communicate in a positive, friendly and inspiring way,' Rao said.

She hoped it would encourage young people to be more informed about AIDS and be responsible in their relationships.

'It (the song) epitomises the resolve and grit to halt and reverse the epidemic by promoting the most simple and effective approach of taking responsibility for one's conduct and learning more about AIDS,' the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said on the cover of the video.

India is home to 2.5 million HIV positive people, including over 70,000 children below the age of 14. According to NACO, 33 percent of India's HIV positive population is in the 15-30 age group.

The music video is already being distributed among target grioups, NGOs and government bodies working to combat AIDS.

Health Secretary Naresh Dayal said it was planned initially to hold a huge function at Shivaji Park in Mumbai and release the video in front of at least 75,000 people.

'We had to cancel the programme in the wake of the dastardly terror attack on Mumbai. While spreading awareness about AIDS, we express our deep condolence for those who have lost their lives in the terror attack,' Dayal added.

Earlier, Bollywood produced two movies, 'Fir Milenge' and 'My Brother Nikhil', with AIDS as their main theme.

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