'I Am Kalam' to sensitise 2 lakh school kids

At a time when a popular actor like Salman Khan is adding entertainment and star power to children's movies, a small independent kiddie flick with no star cast to boast of is going one step further. The makers of I Am Kalam, a feature film based on child labour and the right to education, intend starting a literacy campaign across the country.  

“We are trying to change mindsets through meaningful but entertaining cinema that combines education and awareness on complex and sensitive topics,” said actor Gulshan Grover who plays an important role in the film.  

I Am Kalam will be screened at 1,000 schools in 24 different states across the country with an aim to create awareness and sensitise nearly 2 lakh children, their parents and the communities they live in.  

“The best way to reach out to people is through mainstream movies which disseminate social messages in an innovative manner,” points out Santanu Mishra, executive trustee of Smile Foundation, the NGO which has produced the movie. “Usually, social organisations produce documentaries but we decided to blend information with entertainment so that our movie finds a wider audience base,” he added.  

The school campaign will be kicked off on September 8 which happens to be World Literacy Day. The programme will be part of Smile Foundation's 'Child for Child' initiative which seeks to sensitise privileged children about disparities in the social order.

“It brings together children from all backgrounds in an attempt to foster in affluent children a sense of responsibility towards their less privileged counterparts,” Mishra said.  

The makers are in the process of trying to get the film included in the United Nations literacy programme.