Remember Mahesh Bhatt?s Daddy?the 1989 cult movie which not only launched actor Pooja Bhatt in Bollywood but also went on to win the special jury award at the 1990 National Film Awards? Well, the film basically dealt with the relationship between an alcoholic father and his daughter who is brought up by her grandparents. Now, while the movie script did speak volumes for itself and heralded the golden era of the film-maker?s career, would not have some data based on scientific facts made the script more authentic? Yes, it would.
When it comes to India, Bollywood and television have a big impact on viewers through the kind of content that are showcased on the small and the big screen; and when the impact is so high, it is important that the information channelised is real and authentic enough! Consequently, in a bid to help Indian content makers create products which are more scientifically authentic, Hollywood Health, and Society (HH&S) has joined hands with the Asian Center for Entertainment Education (ACEE) to launch a programme titled, The Third Eye.
While filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt leads the initiative, Vinta Nanda, director/co-founder, ACEE, and Augustine Veliath, co-founder, ACEE, are in-charge of the programme that borrows its model from HH&S.
For the record, HH&S is a programme at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center that aims to provide entertainment industry professionals with accurate and timely information for storylines woven around health issues. HH&S has supported more than 500 storylines in Hollywood over the last three years in mainstream programmes including Private Practice, 90210, Greys Anatomy and Desperate Housewives. It will fund The Third Eye programme in India.
?Entertainment education is not a theory but a strategy to maximise the reach and effectiveness of health/social messages through the combination of entertainment and education. Entertainment education is premised on the idea that individuals learn behaviour by observing role models, particularly in the mass media. Imitation and influence are the expected outcomes of these interventions.? said Bhatt. ?At ACEE, we believe that as some of the most creative minds work for film, television, radio and new media, their stories backed with solid research can create content which will enter popular culture and have a profound social impact,? he said.
Sandra de Castro Buffington, director, HH&S, believes that Indian media is evolving very rapidly and a lot of stories seek to capture health and social issues. Therefore, it is critical that the creative community has resources for inspiration, information and verification of facts at its disposal.
?Rather than tell the writers what to write, we uphold the freedom of the creative communities and respect them as master story-tellers of our time. We are amazed with the response we?ve received in India. It?s a strong indication that entertainment education will work here. In a fast-changing world as India grows economically, it becomes extremely important to inspire and inform people about choices that can enhance their health and well-being, in tandem with the country?s growth,? Buffington said.
Workshops, story tours and road trips to sensitise writers on existing and developing issues will be held regularly. ACEE will also expose scriptwriters and directors to real stories and Buffington and Chris Dzialo, program administrator, HH&S will work closely with Veliath of ACEE, to ensure that the programme achieves its goals, by reaching out to the entire media and entertainment industry. Interactions between writers from India and those from the rest of the world are also planned. Pooja Bhatt, who has now turned producer and director, is subscribing to the service for one of her upcoming films. Acclaimed director Kalpana Lajmi, who is co-writing a script titled Safed Doli, based on the struggle of a girl child in a story set in the remotest corners of Bihar, is working with experts from The Third Eye and Soni Razdan, producer, director and actor, who is producing a talk show for women titled Madat, with co-producer Vinta Nanda, is also structuring the digital platform and backend services in consultation with experts from The Third Eye.
