BOMBAY, July 7 (AFP) - Hollywood icon Richard Gere launched a social project here Wednesday aimed at spreading awareness about HIV through films, television and newspaper advertisements.
The American actor told a news conference the project would use leading Indian personalities including cricketer Rahul Dravid to send out public service messages on the spread of the virus.
"We need to get the message out and films are a powerful medium for that. Philadelphia was a landmark film and I would love to see an Indian version of that being made," Gere said.
He added talks were on with the Indian film community to explore the possibilities of making such a movie.
The 1993 film "Philadelphia" starred Academy award-winner Tom Hanks as an HIV/AIDS patient who gets sacked after his employers learn he is affected by the virus.
"A good script is the most essential thing for any movie, and unless we find a great script, we wouldn't want to do it," Gere said, adding that there seemed to be a dearth of original stories.
Gere said television and newspaper advertisements would also be used extensively for the three-year project aimed at reducing the stigma and discrimination faced by HIV/AIDS patients.
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