Two months after it shot videos with actor Shah Rukh Khan on awareness about eye diseases, the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) is waiting for a green signal from the Health Ministry to release the videos.
The Health Ministry is claiming that the NFDC only contacted them for suggestions and approval at a later stage and was not even cleared before the videos were shot.
As per a senior Health Ministry official, the minister was unhappy that the proposal was not discussed at an earlier stage as he wanted it to be shot with someone else. “We were in touch with NFDC for a full-fledged campaign…print, jingles, TV ads, etc. When some videos had already been shot and the file sent for the Minister’s clearance, it was not cleared,” the official added.
Officials say that Shah Rukh was not the first choice for the campaign. Instead, the ministry had earlier planned to associate the campaign with Bollywood movie ‘Kaabil’ that released last month in which Hrithik Roshan played the role of a blind man.
The “Eye Hear You” campaign is aimed at creating awareness about conditions like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy that lead to loss of vision. The videos were shot in December but the NFDC is still waiting for a response from the Health Ministry. Shah Rukh had taken no fees to work for the public awareness campaign.
