Bollywood plots AIDS message despite stars' apathy

(23 Jan. 2007) : In India, four top Bollywood directors are to make short films dealing with HIV/AIDS that will be shown before blockbuster releases, hoping to use their stars' pulling power
to spread awareness of the deadly virus in the country. The low-budget, 12-minute movies
will be shown at theatres ahead of full-length commercial Bollywood films that star well-known actors, said Mira Nair, the India-born director of "Mississippi Masala" . "The idea is to piggyback on blockbusters to spread AIDS awareness," Nair said Monday at a news conference, in a country that has the world's largest population living with the deadly virus. The movies will be funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which is spending 258 million dollars on HIV prevention efforts in India over a five-year period. The directors are hoping the movies will be released in cinemas within a few months. Nair said the initial response from distributors had been positive. According to UNAIDS, India has 5.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS and stigma and prejudice is widespread.