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CHENNAI: It could well have been the muharrat of a Kollywood blockbuster. The stars were there; the venue hall was chock-a-block with people; the photographers were everywhere; and of course a film was being screened.
On Thursday evening, actor Suriya really could not have complained about the response to his documentary on education for all. The short film, “Herovaa Zerovaa?”, was made by Suriya’s not-for-profit Agaram Foundation for the Department of School Education and stars the actor, his wife Jyothika and actors Vijay and Madhavan.
When Suriya throws even a documentary together, he obviously gets some of the best in the industry to pitch in. In this short, he has roped in award winners in music director Harris Jeyaraj, editor Sreekar Prasad, lyricist Na.Muthukumar and director Priya V. of ‘Kanda Naal Muthal’ fame. Actors Kamal Haasan and Prakash Raj have also obliged by appearing as proponents of the cause of education.
The documentary, shot in four locations in and around Chennai, intends to convey the message that education makes one a hero. “Education is one that lifts someone up and his entire family. As such, it is a huge boon,” Suriya said after the screening of the short film. His Agaram Foundation itself is an initiative that aims to support education. The foundation has adopted an Adi Dravidar Welfare School in Palur, Chengalpattu, he says, but they wanted to go beyond one school. Gnanavel, secretary, Agaram Foundation, said a lot of statistics from the Education Department helped a great deal in the making of the film. The four angles the film explores in its short span are child labourers, ignorance of parents, disinterest in studies and lack of education for women, he added.
School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu said there were several hurdles that kept children from schools.
He praised Suriya and his team for their hard work for over three months to spread the message of education for all. Actor Madhavan, who dropped in before he left to catch a flight, said he was happy for the opportunity to work on the project. It had grown into a mega movement, he added.
Actor Sivakumar, Suriya’s father, recounted how his sister had to drop out of school because the family could not afford the fees of Rs. 5 each for two children. He expressed his hope that Agaram Foundation’s latest venture, which had a lot of support from the government and the Chief Minister himself, would make an impact on the lives of a lot of children.
Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, has spoken for about 55 seconds, introducing the film and has apparently instructed all cinema halls in the State to screen it.
Three government departments, including Education and Information, have come together for the promotion of the film. Over 500 DVDs of the short film have been burned in order to distribute via the cable networks. An IEC van will also carry forth the message and the film to the nooks and corners of the State. Bharatstudent.com, an online platform for youth in India, was also happy to tie up with Agaram Foundation, according to its representative Vishnu Vardhan Induri.
Source URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/16/stories/2008051657590200.htm
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