The Hindu Business Line : Joining hands for a cause

Jasoos Vijay is a detective, who not only solves mysteries, but is bold enough to talk about his HIV-positive status as well. In a country where the stigma against HIV/AIDS is widely prevalent, a crime thriller on television has successfully managed to spread awareness about the disease, besides addressing a range of social issues from superstitions to crimes against women.

A joint initiative of the BBC World Service Trust, Prasar Bharati and National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), the Jasoos Vijay series enters its third season this week on Doordarshan's National Channel. The interactive, detective drama has gone down well with the target audience, mainly from the rural areas, and has been featured in the most popular shows' list regularly.

Through his cases and adventures, Jasoos Vijay, played by Farhaan Khan, meets people from all walks of life. Not only does the HIV positive man talk about HIV prevention, he also helps counter discrimination.

Says Andrew Whitehead, India Director of the BBC World Service Trust, "Though Jasoos Vijay is HIV positive, he has a family, including a beautiful wife. The series tries to tell people that it is alright to share a meal with an HIV infected person — they can do everything except share needles or practise unsafe sex."

To sustain viewer interest, the show is packed with adrenalin-pumping stunts and action sequences. It has an interactive section, through which viewers can examine the plot, solve the crime and write in the solution.

Noted actor Om Puri plays an important role in the drama series, which is aired in seven languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Bengali. "The show's impact has been very good. Our research shows that people are more aware of HIV/AIDS and open to talking about it, willing to get medical advice on sexual-reproductive health and have changed attitudes towards condom usage," he adds. Women, in particular, have started insisting on condom usage.

The show's concept and quality have gone down well with the audience in India, and it will now be dubbed for those in Cambodia. Whitehead says, "We are examining the different ways in which the messaging can be used, especially in regions where there is no access to television. For instance, we could create videos of the series for NGOs to use in their local activity. In fact, the State AIDS Control Society in Bihar has started using this method."

Whitehead, who has a background in radio broadcasting, is keen that the radio should also be used as an effective medium to communicate messages about HIV/AIDS. "There is a sudden resurgence of radio and it could be an effective medium," he adds.

The Trust, along with its partners, is involved in another reality show for the youth — Haath Se Haath Milaa — a new series involving Bollywood stars in HIV/AIDS prevention. The show is slated to go on air in a few months' time.

The Trust is also involved in public service campaigns on Doordarshan. "Our target audience mainly resides in the smaller towns and rural India. They can relate very easily to our settings," he adds.

More HIV/AIDS campaigns

When Hollywood icon Richard Gere visited India some months ago, private broadcasters too had pledged to help spread HIV/AIDS-related messages. Since then, cable and satellite channels have started weaving the issue in the storyline of some of their soaps and shows.

Star Plus had introduced a character with HIV/AIDS in its serial, Sanjivani. Similarly, Sony's Indian Idol had messages and discussions on HIV/AIDS during the show.

Some channels also air public service campaigns on the usage of condoms and practising safe sex.

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