Public Voices

(Comments by the audience at the GB Film Fest preview at National College Bandra)

"I think the movie was brilliant, good going, especially the character of Paayal was mind blowing"
~ Dr. Zaheer

"The programme was good. Need more such programmes dealing with problems with people who are married and gays."
~ Romit Mukherjee

"I loved the movie... great performances; tell the people of the world that we do exist."
~ Shailesh Panwalakar

"This film not only reflects the issue, but also preached humanity through the character of Mansi, the world requires it."
~ Amit

"Realistic, sensitive, motivating and practical"
~ Shailesh Thakur

"Awesome, super acting, should be shown to the entire world."
~ Mangesh Gawde

"Very beautifully made film. I do hope it can reach out to more and more people."
~ Alok Agarwal

"Very sensitively made movie. The counselor should have been (technically speaking) little more detached and neutral."
~ Dr. Arindam Basu

"The film was beautifully made well effort. BRAVO"
~ Ashish Verma

"Excellent story cast and characters. Keep it on all the best."
~ Rohan

"Great effort all the best"
~ Ameya

"Beautifully scripted and crafted. Moving film. Congrats"
~ Anant. V

(Audience reactions from the couple of previews held recently)

“The film is a sensitive and touching portrayal of marginalized communities.”
~ Dr. Rajeev Jerajani, psychiatrist

“I screen hundreds of films in this preview theatre but hardly watch them. Today, I just started watching and saw the entire film and had tears in my eyes.”
~ Projectionist, Star preview theatre, Mumbai

“Good Job…Good Performances”
~ Bindu Madhav Khire, Samapathik Trust, Pune

“Excellent Performances” ~ Sujal, a viewer

“Good Potential for mainstream”
~ Sanjay Thakur, a viewer

“Outstanding” ~ Kevin Menezes, a viewer

“I had actually come to attend another function at this venue but I did not leave the auditorium when I started seeing this film even though I realized my mistake. The film says a lot about HIV positive people.”
~ a viewer

“Your film is a slap on the face of society.”
~ Gitanjali Dhulekar, a viewer

“Never realized that people like Umrao exist in society. Umrao’s character is amazing.”
~ Avinash Mehto, Head of Avi Creations, an edit set-up

“The film was so compelling that I had to come for the second screening too”
~ Abhijit Aher, a viewer

“This film has inspired me and I want to become a counselor.”
~ Umang Sheth, a viewer

“For the first time, there’s a film that recognizes the efforts of counselors.”
~ Kalpita Patil-Lanjekar, a counselor

“In one stroke, you have made counselors more important than doctors and destroyed the myth that only doctors can help”
~ Dr. Maninder Setia, Ph.D. student at McGill University, Montreal

“The discrimination shown in the film is so real. We have seen it all and lived it all.”
~ Dr. Hemangi Jerajani, Head of the Department, Skin and Dermatology, LTMG Hospital, Mumbai

“A sensitive portrayal of a real-life counselor and a true profile of a TISS student.”
~ Brinelle D’Souza, professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

“Extremely touching and sensitive, the film deals with issues of HIV positive people in a real manner.”
~ Rita Sonawat, Head of the Department, Human Development, SNDT University, Mumbai

“I am grateful to Rita m’am for bringing me along to watch this film. It should be made mandatory viewing for all youth in the country.”
~ a student of SNDT University

“There are many times when I have gone home from work and cried for the pain of my counselees. And this film reflects my feelings.”
~ Rajashree, a counselor

“V. Good ! an eye opener ! Good educational film”
~ Kanchan Karani, a viewer

“The film is an eye-opener to the kind of good work being done with HIV positive people.”
~ Rekha Shah, a viewer

“Four years of my life flashed in front of my eyes. I thought I was reliving my life at Humsafar once again.”
~ Vrushali Deshmukh, ex-counseling head at The Humsafar Trust, Mumbai, the woman on whose experiences the film is based