Bollywood star joins 46664
2004-12-01 16:14
Panaji - Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has been appointed a key player in an anti-Aids campaign headed by South African former president Nelson Mandela, according to a statement here on Wednesday.
Bachchan's appointment as a "46664 Special Ambassador" was to be announced at the International Film Festival of India in Panaji, capital of India's beach state of Goa, said the statement by South African film company Videovision Entertainment.
The 46664 campaign named after Mandela's prison number, aims to support Nelson Mandela Foundation, which supports programmes for the prevention, testing, care and support of those infected with the virus.
Other 46664 special ambassadors include US former president Bill Clinton, Hollywood actors Brad Pitt and Will Smith and talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
Activism against HIV/Aids
The appointment of Bachchan was to be announced by the chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, John Samuel, after a screening of the film "Yesterday" at the festival late afternoon on Wednesday.
Bachchan is widely known for his activism against HIV/Aids and will be endorsing anti-Aids campaigns in both India and South Africa, which have the highest infection rates of the disease in the world, the statement said.
"Yesterday", produced by Anant Singh and directed by Darrell James Roodt, follows the plight of a rural woman in South Africa, played by South African actress Leleti Khumalo who falls ill and discovers she is HIV-positive.
The movie is the first to be supported by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and is South Africa's official entry for the 2005 Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Picture category.
It is to be the highlight of Wednesday's screenings at the festival, which has as its focus World Aids Day.
- SAPA