PANAJI, India, Dec 1 (AFP) - Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was Wednesday appointed a key player in an anti-AIDS campaign headed by South African former president Nelson Mandela during a World AIDS Day ceremony here.
Bachchan's appointment as a "46664 Special Ambassador" was announced at the International Film Festival of India in Panaji, capital of the beach state of Goa.
The 46664 campaign -- named after Mandela's prison number -- aims to raise awareness of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, as well as funds for the Nelson Mandela Foundation which supports programmes for the prevention, testing, care and support of those infected with the virus.
Bachchan, who has also campaigned tirelessly against polio in India, said he was overwhelmed.
"Mandela has been extremely compassionate towards me and my family. It's a very emotional moment for me that he has agreed to keep me as an ambassador and I'm going to take my lead from the Nelson Mandela Foundation and follow my instructions in any manner they deem fit," he said.
Bachchan said sex education could be an important instrument to fight the scourge.
"AIDS is surrounded by a lot of mysticism and it is something people are very closeted about. It is not discussed openly because it talks about sex, and we need to open people's minds.
"There has to be a plan and design in the way we go about it, but we are sure that with patience and effort, we will be successful," he added.
Bachchan said the use of celebrities in awareness campaigns had great benefits.
"I didn't actually think that celebrities made a difference until I did the anti-polio campaign. Where at one time polio booths saw 10-20 women coming with their children, 100,000-200,000 women started coming after my campaign," the actor said.
Other 46664 special ambassadors include US former president Bill Clinton, Hollywood actors Brad Pitt and Will Smith and talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
The appointment of Bachchan was announced by the chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, John Samuel, after a screening of the film "Yesterday" at the festival.
"Yesterday", produced by Anant Singh and directed by Darrell James Roodt, follows the plight of a rural woman in South Africa -- played by South African actress Leleti Khumalo -- who falls ill and discovers she is HIV-positive.
The movie is the first to be supported by the Mandela's foundation and is South Africa's official entry for the 2005 Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Picture category.
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