Farhan Akhtar and MARD: Make short films, join the actor in fight against gender-based violence

Farhan AKhtar has invited students to make a two-minute-long short film capturing different facets of violence against women.

After his earlier campaign MARD-- Men Against Rape and Discrimination failed to bring the expected changes, actor Farhan Akhtar has launched a new campaign to combat gender-based violence that seeks to rope in youngsters to take the movement forward.

Farhan Akhtar during the launch of social campaign titled National Geographic Mission Blue to save water on Earth Day . (Hindustan Times)

Actor Farhan Akhtar arrives to attend the prayer meet of his father and late actor Vinod Khanna at Nehru Centre in Mumbai, on May 3. (IANS)

‘#BasAbBahutHoGaya - #EnoughIsEnough’ was unveiled during a Facebook Live session with the actor-director announcing a short film contest for college students across the country.

Students would be required to make a two-minute-long short film capturing different facets of violence against women.

“Unfortunately despite the progress we have made earlier, it seems it has not been enough. We have failed to make the strides that we wanted to through our campaign (MARD). There are several aspects to this new campaign that will unravel in the coming months, but right now we are focusing on college students. We would like young people to make the film on their understanding about violence against women,” Farhan said.

Students can send in the entries till August 24, and the shortlisted films will then be judged by a jury, he said.

The winners of the contest will be announced on October 2, who then will get an opportunity to be part of the MARD concert that is scheduled to be held towards the end of the year.

MUMBAI, INDIA - APRIL 22:Swati Mohan Business Head India of Fox Networks Group with Indian directors Farhan Akhtar, Madhur Bhandarkar, Hansal Mehta, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and Imtiaz Ali during the launch of social campaign titled National Geographic Mission Blue to save water on Earth Day on April 22. (Photo by Pramod Thakur/Hindustan Times )

The campaign, which has been launched by Population Foundation of India (PFI) in collaboration with film director Feroz Abbas Khan and MARD, seeks to challenge the social norms that link masculinity to violence.

“It is shocking to know that more than four in ten women, which is around 41 per cent in India experience violence before the age of 19. It has to stop. It is an initiative to come together and collectively raise our voice against the violence. I want everybody to stand together and pledge to outlaw all kinds of violence against women,” he said.

Akhtar who was appointed as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador to South Asia in November last year, has been bringing the issues of gender equality to the centre stage, and advocating for change in the ideas of masculinity.

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