Two films screened to create mental health awareness

Patna: A novel film festival focusing on 'mental health and its socio-cultural context' was held at Patna Museum hall here on Sunday. Two films - Astu and Zindagi Zindabad - were screened on the occasion.
Manoved film festival, organised by Vijay Memorial Trust, an organisation headed by noted city psychiatrist Dr Vinay Kumar, was attended by veteran actor Dr Mohan Agashe, who delivered the keynote address as chief guest.Padma Shri Usha Kiran Khan inaugurated the function. Dr Kumar said the film festival was an effort to make people aware about psychological problems.
Dr Agashe interacted with viewers and discussed various aspects of mental health and its portrayal in his and other films. It may be recalled that he has acted in about 60 films and several plays and had been awarded Sangeet Natak Academy award in 1996. After completing MBBS course and a course in psychiatry from B J Medical College, Pune, he also headed the psychiatry department in the same medical college. He had also served as the director of Film and Television Institute, Pune (1997-2002). Appreciated by the audience, Astu, in which Dr Agashe has acted, was the tale of an old man, Chakrapani Shastri, who is a patient of Alzheimer's disease. One day, he goes to market with his family and is left alone for a while. He sees an elephant and follows it to reach the mahout's house. The problem is that he neither remembers his address nor understands the mahout's language.
On the other hand, Zindagi Zindabad was about the complex situation of a person accidentally infected with HIV. Om Puri has acted in this film.