Heroes Project launches Southern chapter of media campaign; hosts HIV/AIDS awareness show with SUN TV
Creates a mega platform, bringing together the South Indian Entertainment fraternity in an effort to draw public attention to the issue of HIV/AIDS
October 22, 2005: The Heroes Project today hosted a major entertainment event at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad in association with SUN TV in an effort to raise public understanding and concern about HIV/AIDS. Titled ‘A Time for Heroes’, the event is a launching pad for a sustained media and societal leaders program aimed at educating the masses about the epidemic that is assuming alarming proportions in the Southern states. Richard Gere, International Actor and Co-chair of Heroes Project, co-hosted the event which will be aired across all SUN TV properties as a build up towards World AIDS Day (December 1, 2005).
‘A Time for Heroes’ was a platform around which the entertainment community from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka united in an eclectic mix of song and dance interspersed with HIV related messaging. The event began with the lighting of the lamp by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mr Jaipal Reddy and the Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Dr Y S Rajashekkar Reddy. Several eminent celebrities from the industry such as Amala, Chimbu, Chinmayi, Chiranjeevi, Devishreeprasad, Jayaram, Jeevitha, Madhavan, Mahathi, Malathy, Mohan Babu, Nagarjuna, Prashanth, Prabhudeva, Radikaa, Dr Rajashekar, Revathy, R P Patnaik, Sada, Sangeetha, Sania Mirza, Sarath Kumar, Sandhya, Shreya, Sunitha Sarathy, Suresh Gopi, Suresh Peters, Tarun, Usha Uthup, Vasundhra Das, Venkatesh, Venu Madhav, Vikram, Vishnu Babu amongst others, participated in the show. Kamalahassan got the audience on their feet with an electrifying performance urging them to join the HIV/AIDS movement and do their bit to stem the spread of the disease. Renowned music maestro Illaiyaraja composed a soulful anthem that saw all the stars take the stage to lend their voice and pledge unison in the fight against HIV/AIDS. HIV positive children from the Freedom Foundation, Bangalore enthused the audience with an energetic dance performance. The Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society too played a key participatory role at the event.
Speaking at the event, Chiranjeevi, a stalwart of the Telugu film industry said, “Most people today think that HIV/AIDS cannot happen to them and hence do not take adequate precautions. This has brought about the downfall of many youth. The most important element in the battle against the disease is for people to talk about it. It’s not something taboo, but something that is a burning issue in our country today and needs to be tackled head on. The event presented a unique opportunity for us to talk about it. I hope this is the starting point and many youth join the HIV/AIDS movement.”
Kamalahassan, veteran of the Tamil film industry added, “Film stars today occupy a position of importance in the hearts and minds of the public. Associating ourselves with a cause gives us a rare opportunity to create awareness about a societal problem which if not checked now, can assume alarming proportions. I am glad that the Heroes Project presented this opportunity to me to do something for the good of our people.”
The show built on the success of an event held in Mumbai in December 2002 by the same name that raised funds for pediatric AIDS and brought together Indian media, the film community and business houses to commit their combined strength to advocate and raise funds around the issue of HIV and AIDS. Amongst the scores of movie stars present at the event, the prominent personalities were Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, and Preity Zinta; while Godrej, Reliance, HDFC, ICICI Bank, Star, Sahara, Aditya Birla Group, Mahindras, Taj, and HLL were some of the corporate houses present at the event. The overall goal of the Hyderabad event was to replicate what was accomplished in the North by creating a sustainable campaign that engages the different sections of society from South India.
Speaking from Chennai, Kalanidhi Maran, CMD, SUN Network and media partner for the event said, “With the number of HIV affected people growing - especially in the Southern states, it is high time that we do something to curb the spread of the epidemic. The Heroes Project’s idea of a mass media campaign coupled with a societal leaders program will go a long way towards positively influencing people to alter behavior and eradicate the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease. We are proud to be part of this event and hope it marks a new chapter in the battle against the disease.”
As per National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) estimates, in 2004, approximately 5.1 million people in India were affected by HIV. The virus has started to spread from high risk groups to the general population; and from urban to rural areas. Given that Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are amongst the six high prevalence states, there is an urgent need to act quickly and stem the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region.
Says Richard Gere, Co-Chair, Heroes Project, “As many as two-thirds of the 45 million infections across the world over the next decade can be averted if adequate education and prevention messages are effectively disseminated. Events provide a great platform, as they not only generate momentum overnight but also provide an opportunity to bring together various sections of society e.g. entertainment, media, business, NGOs and general public.”
About Heroes Project
Founded by Richard Gere and Parmeshwar Godrej in July 2004, the Heroes Project is a three year national initiative that seeks to prevent an HIV/AIDS epidemic by educating the public and reducing stigma and discrimination through mass media campaigns and societal leader programs. The Project found its beginnings in ‘A Time for Heroes’, an event held in Mumbai in December 2002 that raised funds for pediatric AIDS. With the help of its partners - Avahaan Initiative, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation - the Heroes Project has managed to turn the momentum gathered from a single event, into the largest ever private media and societal leaders’ campaign on HIV/AIDS in the country.
About SUN TV
Sun Network, one of India's largest television networks with its thirteen TV channels, four FM radios stations, four magazines and two newspapers, covering movies, entertainment, music, documentary and news, each carrying its own distinctive content and brand personality collectively provide audiences a wide range of choice. Original content is the essential driver for the consistent high performance of the network which controls over 50,000 hours of original content a year and is constantly adding to this vast value of content.
About Kaiser
Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation is an independent national health philanthropy dedicated to providing information and analysis on health issues to policymakers, the media and general public. The Foundation partners with entertainment media organizations to develop multi-faceted public education campaigns on important health issues and is particularly focused on providing young people with information about reproductive and sexual health issues such as HIV.
About Avahan
Avahan is a $200 million grant making initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that supports programs working to prevent the spread of HIV in India. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to promote greater equity in four areas: global health, education, public libraries, and support for at-risk families in Washington state and Oregon. The Seattle-based foundation joins local, national, and international partners to ensure that advances in these areas reach those who need them most. The foundation is led by Bill Gates' father, William H. Gates.
