(Left to right): Festival director Chetan Ghandi, Dr. Mandakini Amte,Dr. Prakash Amte, and Dr. Chandrashekar Meshram at the opening ceremony for the film festival.
Authors: By Dr. Chandrashekhar Meshram
Editor's Choice
World Neurology | Article posted on June 23, 2025
Link: https://worldneurologyonline.com/article/film-festival-raises-awareness-of-health-related-issues
Inaugural event shines a light on numerous issues, including alcoholism, drug addiction, snake bites, and more.
The Orange City Cultural Foundation (OCCF), in collaboration with the P.M. Shah Foundation, Nagpur Municipal Corporation, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, CineMontage, and Saptak Napur, organized the Orange City Aarogya Film Festival on March 29-30, 2025, in Nagpur, India.
This initiative, a brainchild of Dr. Chandrashekhar Meshram, president of the OCCF and trustee of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), was the first health-focused film festival in central India. The idea was to create health awareness in the general public and inspire people to do good work on health-related issues.
The festival was formally inaugurated by Padma Shri awardee Dr. Prakash Amte, trustee of Maharogi Sewa Samiti (a nonprofit leprosy service committee) who has been providing health care in remote, tribal areas for over 50 years.
In his inaugural address, Dr. Amte said film is a powerful medium for creating health awareness and making a lasting impact in building a healthier society. Chetan Gandhi, director of the P.M. Shah Foundation, which provided many films for the festival, said he was happy to be associated with this public awareness campaign.
Over two days, the festival showcased a curated selection of 41 award-winning short films, each highlighting various crucial aspects of health and personal well-being. The films addressed a wide range of topics, including alcoholism, Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorders, blindness, cancer, child abuse, disability, drug addiction, environmental issues, mental health, obesity, organ donation, sanitation, sex education, snake bites, specially abled children, women's health, and other related social concerns.
The documentary, "Mission Impossible: Zero Snakebite Death," highlights how a doctor couple established a hospital to treat nearly 200 snake bite patients each year. They also educated local people and health care providers to achieve zero snake bite deaths since 2010 in the region.
"Faith Beyond Fear" is a film about hundreds of wandering chronic psychotic patients picked from the city streets and treated by a psychiatrist couple. The patients are finally sent home and reunited with their families.
The movie "2 Wheels 235 Days" is the story of a 21-year-old girl who traveled 17,000 km on a bicycle over 235 days to create awareness about the environment. During this journey, she spoke to people about the hazards of air and water pollution and motivated them to plant trees.
"Antarnaad" and "What Is That?" are films about Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Each film emphasizes the issues people with dementia face and the importance of family members and caregivers.
Two films about autism spectrum disorders, "Beyond Words" and "Yoddha," were also screened at the festival. The films focus on how the group therapy and multidisciplinary approach helps children with autism overcome their challenges and develop an expertise in one special hidden talent.
The feedback from many who attended the event was excellent, and they suggested making the film festival an annual activity. •
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