Sunday, August 13, 2000		Scene Stealers

SCIENTISTS at the Institute of Microbial Studies, Chandigarh, recently junked the much-held perception that virtually no original work is done in government institutes. Dr Girish Sahni and his team have come up with a new drug to dissolve blood clots. The team included Rajesh Gupta, K. Rajagopal,M Yadav, Deepak Nihalani, Chaiti Roy and Jayeeta Dhar.

According to Dr Sahni, high potency ‘clot buster’ drugs have been in use for years. They were first patented abroad and the institute had initially indigenised them and sold them locally. They were tissue plasminogen activators. But these drugs had some side-effects as opposed to the desirable locale-specific activation in the immediate vicinity of the occluding blood clot.

The development of a drug has at least three stages— conception, testing of attributes in a lab and then on animals and finally marketing. The drug developed by Dr Sahni’s team has a coveted feature in the form of an improved thrombolytic agent— fibrin— specificity. In other words, the agent can home in on a pathological fibrin clot rapidly after being injected without causing any significant degree of systemic PG activation (side-effects).

Incidentally, Dr Sahni had left a lucrative assignment in the USA to come and work here at the sarkari payscales. Well done, doc.

The Freedom Foundation is an NGO which is doing pioneering work in the field of de-addiction and AIDS. It was established in 1993 by Ashok K.Rau and Karl Sequeira at Bangalore. In these seven years, they have achieved many milestones. The foundation’s residential centre for treatment of alcoholics and drug-addicts is based on a bio-psycho-social model. The recovery rate is 49 per cent — one of the highest in the country.

The issues of HIV/AIDS has been addressed by them in a scientific manner. The first step was awareness, followed by prevention programmes conducted either at educational institutions, government and non-government organisations or through the corporate sector. In 1996, with a start-up grant from Levi Strauss, USA, a Rehabilitation Centre was opened. The rehabilitation centre is again a residential unit and provides free food, shelter, medicines, medical support and counselling, rehabilitation and hospice care. It has been credited as the first HIV/AIDS home in the country.

The Freedom Foundation is very much concerned about the strong link between alcoholism and HIV/AIDS and support for children who are HIV+ or children of HIV+ parents. In the last two years, 62 children have availed of the facilities of the Centre. Seeing the good work of the foundation, the President of India has nominated it as a member of the technical resource group on HIV/AIDS.

The work here is not only on treatment but on rehabilitation. In order to improve economic self-sufficiency of clients, education and vocational training are provided. A separate workshed has been erected for the production of decorative candles, paper covers, greeting cards, etc. After many setbacks it has also been able to secure admission in schools for some of its children last year. A couple of children are already topping their classes.

Freedom Foundation is now attempting to expand its services and replicate its model of low-cost community care in other high-risk areas. Bellary and Hyderabad have been chosen for setting up centres in future. The biggest challenge the NGO has taken up is to start on an awareness programme, through a 24-hour helpline on telephone, holding of personnel training and publicity on the subject through the media. There appeal is to like-minded people to come forward to encourage those people affected with HIV/AIDS to live a life of purpose and die with dignity and to help alcoholics and addicts to recover.

Email address: freedom@bgl.vsnl.net in or call Bangalore 5440134, 5440135.

Om Puri has transcended the physical boundaries in showbiz where looks are of prime importance. He has been known for a long time here an outstanding actor. However, he is also making waves with his brilliant performances in the West. With films like My Son the Fanatic and now East and East, as an orthodox chip shop owner, Puri is part of one of the most successful comedies running there.

Inspite of all the success that he has achieved, he is still a very down-to-earth person. He remembers his childhood in Bathinda and his mamaji’s place in a village in Patiala. In fact, Patiala holds special memories for him because it was there that he started participating in plays. Though he wanted to join the Army, he was so bitten by the acting bug that he joined the local theatre group. He sustained himself by doing odd jobs like becoming a typist at DC office. He remembers that his typing speed in Punjabi was very good.

He holds his elder brother (12 years older to him) in high regard. Puri blossomed at the NSD. "I owe a great deal to the NSD. The course was wonderful, so was Alkazi." His break in films came through art films made by directors like Basu Chatterjee, Shyam Benegal etc.

As for his unconventional looks, Om Puri says he came to terms with it at the NSD. "When we saw films with actors like Bergman, I realised there was a marked place for good actors who do not have chikna chupra (chocolate) looks. Girish Karnard gave me A+ in practicals at the film institute and said, "We cannot deny him a seat because of his looks, see his talent".

In Bombay, he joined Roshan Taneja’s academy to teach acting at Rs 800 per month in 1976 and alongwith this he kept doing theatre. His first break was given by B.V. Karanth, followed by Akrosh, Shodh, Astha. Today he has come up with good cameo performances in Hera Pheri and Dulhan Lejaye Ge.

Om Puri is a cult figure for all the ordinary people. He exemplifies the motto: "There is space and place for good people everywhere who do their job well". He believes dreaming is important, whether your dreams are fulfilled or not is not of much consequence.

— Belu Maheshwari