The onset of AIDS in the last century was a big jolt to humanity. Over the years now, mankind has learned to handle the HIV virus that leads to AIDS; still, there is a lot of awareness lacking. As a result even today many HIV-positive patients are forced to live an isolated and lonely life.
A few Indian movies that threw light on this disease have contributed to educating and making people aware of this deadly virus. Check a list of movies that focus on the same:
Phir Milenge
This can be said to be the first movie that largely focused on AIDS, the pain of being HIV positive, and how it affects the image of an HIV-positive person in society. Salman Khan reunited with his Love co-star Revathi who directed this movie based on Tom Hanks's hit film Philadelphia. Abhishek Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty were the other lead actors in Phir Milenge which revolved around Shilpa’s character who tests HIV positive.
My Brother… Nikhil
It was a landmark movie that revolved around a young swimmer’s life that is dropped from the team after he tests HIV positive. His parents, friends, and teammates do not offer any support except his sister Anamika who stands by him all through the struggle. Both Sanjay Suri as Nikhil and Juhi Chawla as Anamika delivered outstanding performances making the movie unforgettable.
Positive
This directorial short movie by Farhan Akhtar featured Boman Irani and Shabana Azmi along with the lead actor Arjun Mathur. The movie is about how Boman’s character is cheating on his wife Shabana while Arjun is well aware of it right from the start but keeps it a secret from his mother. Later on, when Arjun goes abroad for studies, his father is diagnosed with AIDS and is very sick. That is when Arjun decides to have a talk with his father when he is on his deathbed.
Zahir (Dus Kahaniyaan)
Dus Kahaniyaan directed by Sanjay Gupta included 10 different stories out of which one was Zahir which featured Dia Mirza and Manoj Bajpayee. Zahir is a tragic story of two people Sia and Sahil who become friends. While Sahil wants them to become intimate, Sia rejects it. When Sahil finds Sia working as a bar dancer, he gets drunk and rapes her. Sia has AIDS and dies after that while Sahil who is narrating this story has contracted the disease from her and is waiting for his death.
68 Pages
The movie helmed by Sridhar Rangayan revolves around an AIDS/HIV counselor and her clients who are drug users, commercial sex workers, transsexual bar dancers, and homosexuals. Mauli Ganguly plays the role of the counselor who tries not to get emotionally involved with her patients but still is deeply moved. 68 pages are from her personal diary where she writes her experiences with these patients.