The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Sarika plans film with mental illness as theme

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 25, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Sarika plans film with mental illness as theme

Special Correspondent

"It will not be mushy or gloomy. It will be hardhitting"

CHENNAI: Actor Sarika is ready with a script for a full-length feature film. Surviving mental illness will be the theme and The Banyan, a non-governmental organisation looking after the care and rehabilitation of mentally ill destitute women, will form the backdrop.

The script is based on a case study that she zeroed in at The Banyan.

Sarika has been associated with the Banyan for sometime now and feels the cause would be best served through a feature film.

"More focus"

The resulting visibility would mean a lot more focus on the issue, she said. "If you do it correctly, [film is a] good medium to bring the issue to centre stage."

She said part of the finances are ready and Vandana Gopikumar and Vaishnavi Jayakumar, founder trustees of The Banyan, are confident that the remaining money could be arranged over the next few months before the filming begins.

Sarika chose not to reveal the star cast and is of the opinion that actors should feel for the cause if they want to be part of the project.

"Someone [an artiste] should not say, `I charge five lakh rupees, but for this I will do it for a lakh of rupees ... Their commitment should not end with that," she said and added that she was looking for stars who would also be sensitive to the nature of the subject.

Sarika spoke with passion about the film: "It will not be mushy or gloomy. It will be hardhitting. Yes, it will be ugly in parts. We are not going to run away from the ugliness."

A beauty queen's contribution

There was another visitor at the Banyan on Tuesday: Vida Samadzai.

She said she felt very strongly on women's rights issues, a fact that is reflected in her website. "I migrated from Afghanistan after being brought up through some very trying times. The world through my eyes growing up has been a world where women's rights were suppressed and their very basic human rights have been constantly violated.

"As an Afghan woman I look at this problem not as religious fanaticism, but the supremacy of ignorance and lack of tolerance," says a note posted by her at her website, www.vidasamadzai.com.

How it happened

It was Vivek Oberoi who put her, a former Miss Afganisthan, in touch with The Banyan. Vida is now in Mumbai for work and Vivek, ("I have Banyan's brand Ambassador for about five years now and carry brochures of the Banyan around.") explained to her the work at the Banyan and put her on to its founder trustees.

"She wanted to come and visit the place," says Vivek. "And here she is."

Vida said she had come to Chennai earlier with Salman Khan and Co for an AIDS awareness programme. "I have been involved in many causes and mental illness is one of them," she says.

She would help out in the little ways that she could and also spread the message on mental illness, she added.

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