#IFFIWood, 26 November 2022

In the eyes of the world, they were disadvantaged, abandoned and children of a lesser God. Despite or rather especially because of this, they mustered fresh energy, and they won hearts by shooting for the stars from the valley of despair.

Yes, listening to Jacob Varghese, Director of IFFI 53 Indian Panorama film Ayushman should make us skip a beat or more. “Ayushman is a stirring take on the journey of two 14-year-old HIV positive under-privileged boys from rural India.” The Director explains that the boys take up the path less travelled, in order to steer their way out of all the social stigma and discrimination the society inflicts on HIV patients. “They take up a liking towards running marathons and thereby spread positive change and hope around them”. The Director said this, while interacting with the media and festival delegates at an IFFI Table Talks session organised by PIB in Goa on 25th November 2022, during the celebration of the 53^rd edition of the International Film Festival of India.

Sharing the inspiration behind making the documentary, the director says how the boys have left an indelible imprint of inspiration on him. “The boys and their sheer motivation to never give up in life has in turn motivated and inspired me as well. They stopped complaining about the agony they are in; instead, they took up a challenge and won hearts.”

The journey was arduous for the director too, taking no less than almost six years to come to fruition. Jacob Varghese said he came across the boys, Babu and Manik, who were then 12 years old, at an orphanage designated for HIV-positive children. “One among them was abandoned at birth and the other was fighting to overcome his fears in connection with his family and of the future .When I met them, both of whom were born as HIV-positive for no fault of theirs, the first thought that struck me was: ‘how will they lead their life, how will they survive and how long they will they be alive?’”

With a sigh, he added: “We don’t have answers to these questions.”

But to his great surprise, these boys had shown great courage and resolve to fight for themselves. They did this by doing what they like the most, i.e., running, informed the director. According to him, the boys took baby steps in their pursuit to excel and to strive ever-closer to their larger goal; they opted for 10-kilometre running first and later on graduated to doing half-marathon, which is nearly 21 kilometres.

Sharing the nuances of canvassing their journey, Jacob said they started on a small scale. “As we set on sail with the flow, I started growing with them too. Their mission took them to 5 continents and 12 countries. I simply followed them and documented their life.”

What about the physical health of the boys? After all, this plays a critical role in their goal, isn’t it? This is what the director had to say: “Taking up sports acted as a medium in building their confidence and stamina. But above all, it has been acting as a catalyst in helping them overcome the stigma associated with the disease. It is also helping them in a very positive way in terms of giving them the right nutrition and workout as well.”

Asserting that the psychological aspects of the stigma cause far larger consequences than the physical ones posed by the disease, Jacob said the psychological side is highly demanding since they are having to grow up with the realization that their families have abandoned them for no fault of theirs.

The Director wants the audience to realize how the societal stigma and discrimination associated with the disease is taking away even the little joys of life from them and how misinformation plays an important role in doing so. “There is lack of right information about diseases like HIV and leprosy. This raises a wall in front of these people – a wall which acts as a barrier, from experiencing experience life in its fullness, it even deprives them of the right things.”

The transformation of the boys became the greatest journey of hope for him, says Jacob. “The boys are a role model for other kids of similar stature in their orphanage.” The Director exuded confidence that the boys will keep on running till their last breath, as a great inspiration to many.

Director Jacob Varghese is an award-winning Indian film director, producer, and writer known for his sensible, commercially successful and high-value cinematic entertainment in the Kannada film industry. Jacob, who is often inclined towards making movies on subjects that touch his heart and leave a lasting impression on him, said that the subject and the personality you are following are the only motivations for him to make such films.

“You can’t even recover the money you have spent on such films and there are no avenues to showcase them as well, except film festivals,” he asserted. “The story of Babu and Manik is real, so I wanted to give real facts. Thus, I made it as a documentary.”

About the Movie

Director: Jacob Varghese

Producer: Dinesh Rajkumar N, Mathew Varghese, Naveen Franco

Screenplay: Jacob Varghese

Cinematographer: Jacob Varghese

Editor: Kalveer Biradar, Ashwin Prakash R

Synopsis: It is the story of two 14-year-old, HIV-positive, under privileged kids from rural India. One is abandoned at birth while the other is fighting to overcome his fears of the future. Motivated by running, they steer through all the social stigma and discrimination that exists to create awareness and bring a positive change across the globe.

Producer: Dinesh Rajkumar N is a senior journalist, cinematographer and an award-winning film producer. He won the National Film Awards twice; Andhiyum (2008) and Dribbling with their Future (2016).

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