TeachAIDS to release Odia film on HIV

TeachAids, a non-profit social organisation, spun out of Stanford University, US, has developed an animated course work for HIV education in Odia that is likely to be introduced in schools and colleges from next year.

It would be released on December 1, World AIDS Day. A preview of the film was screened for the media here on Thursday.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has formally endorsed the project while the Orissa State Aids Control Society has committed to disseminate the course work across the state, said TeachAids founder and CEO Piya Sorcar. The health education materials will be distributed among minors and youths free of cost.

The 2D animation has separate male and female versions. “This is because people are comfortable interacting with the same gender on the taboo subject,” said TeachAIDS founder and CEO Piya Sorcar.

Oriya film stars Prashant Nanda and Akash Das Nayak have given the voice over to the male version of the 22-minute film featuring their caricatures. Odissi exponent Aruna Mohanty and Ollywood actor Anu Choudhury feature in the female version of the animation.

Sorcar said Odisha State AIDS Control Society will screen the animation across the state through NGOs and media.

Anu said the “revolutionary product” would combat ignorance about HIV while Akash suggested that the animation had been developed keeping in mind the “needs and values” of the Odias.

Sorcar said this kind of course work had already been launched in Andhra Pradesh in Telugu and English featuring well-known actors such as Nagarjuna, Anushka Shetty, Shabana Azmi and Shruti Haasan.