December 1st marks World AIDS Day which means that along with the rest of the world, India too will create awareness about the dreaded disease. In the past, Bollywood has come out with two films in the past which have depicted the atrocity associated with AIDS and the discrimination that is associated with the disease.
Phir Milenge saw a beautiful Shilpa Shetty indulging in a physical relationship with an AIDS stricken Salman Khan only to be hit with HIV. She is thrown out of her job and discriminated against on various levels. The film also cleverly incorporated certain incorrect facts known about the disease: you cannot attract the disease by shaking hands or even a hug. The film also showed the lack of information that is available or even known about AIDS which ultimately is the reason the disease is spreading like wildfire in the country and around the world. And lastly, the screenplay also emphasized the importance of safe sex.
Then there was My Brother Nikhil which came and took AIDS to the extreme. We were introduced to a gay Nikhil played by Sanjay Suri. After he is hit with AIDS, the ace swimmer is shunned by society and placed in an abandoned room. The script looks at the Indian culture and taboos associated with AIDS as well being a homosexual in India.
World AIDS Day is a day dedicated to creating awareness about AIDS in hopes that citizens of the world can gain a better understanding and help spread knowledge of the dreaded disease.
