TOUCHING PORTRAYAL: A scene from short film `bratuku bratikinchu' produced by the Guntur police.

GUNTUR: The battle against the growing incidence of HIV/AIDS is taking new forms. Joining the bandwagon of governmental and non-governmental organisations engaged in eliminating the scourge is the Guntur police who have filmed a documentary in Telugu titled `Brathuku-Brathikinchu' (Live & Let Live).

Superintendent of Police B. Sivadhara Reddy, who had produced the film, released the CD recently. The CD is evoking an enthusiastic response as over 200 copies were being distributed to various voluntary organisations, police stations in the district for public shows.

The 35-minute film was shot in less than a month at various locations in Guntur. It was directed by a police constable-cum-photographer K. Srihari, who had also penned the story besides shooting the film. The entire cast of 15 actors was drawn from the police force, including a woman home guard.

The story revolves round a man, whose philandering ways resulted in contacting the HIV virus and the accompanying trauma and suffering his family was forced to undergo. However, the man changes after a counselling session. He leaves home suddenly, plunging the family in grief. But one day, to the surprise of the members of family, he was found in the company of a cultural troupe, engaged in anti HIV/AIDS work.

"The idea to make a film on HIV/AIDS struck me when I saw a family crumble after its head contacted AIDS. I penned a brief outline of the story and showed it to the SP, who immediately gave the nod," Mr. Srihari told The Hindu .

Re-recording

He roped in his colleagues to don the grease paint and shot the film in different locations in the district, including the Chikatipalem in Narasaraopet, an area full of brothel houses. The artistes dubbed their voices themselves and the re-recording were done at Lohita Labs here.

Mr. Srihari had not finished yet. He would soon start shooting a short film `Okka Kshnam' with a message to the youth not to be misguided by the growing menace of pornography.

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