Nagpur: The Indian Academy of Neurology, Nagpur Neuro Society and Psychiatric Society Nagpur brought the focus on brain diseases by screening a film Astu on World Brain Day. Actor Mohan Agashe who is part of the film as the protagonist was also present at the Persistant System Ltd. auditorium to discuss the film after the screening.Written and directed by Sumitra Bhave, the film which was made in 2013 focuses on issues faced by those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and the difficulties that their care givers face.As the diseases sets in during old age, the film delivers its message through the sufferings of appa, or Prof. Chakarapani Shastri, a Sanskrit professor played by Agashe. The film deals with the condition of appa, how his own family struggles to look after him and how he gets selfless love and care from the poor family of a mahout, whom he has followed through the city in his eagerness to get an elephant ride.Bhave, who has made a couple of films dealing with health issues like Zindagi Zindabad, Nital and Kasaav, brings out the undercurrents and dilemmas of the family with finesse. The contrast between the family’s attitude towards appa and the innocent love that the poor family, especially the mahout’s wife shows for him underlines not just the problems but their solutions too felt Agashe. In conversation with psychiatrist Dr. Sudhir Bhave, Agashe drew attention to the large population of senior citizens in the society today.“The doctors are giving them a long life but the quality is deteriorating day by day,” he said. Advocating more sensitivity towards the aged and ailing, Aghashe said, “Having a person suffering with dementia is not a big problem if the family’s attitude is positive. As a man grows old he faces too many memories and dementia is just one way of shutting them out. It is also a condition where the lines of differentiation blur,” he said.Ahead of the screening, Dr. Chandrashekhar Meshram dwelled upon the theme of this year’s Brain Day which was ‘Air Pollution and Brain Health’. “More than 18 lakh persons die in India due to pollution related diseases every year, which is nearly 27% of all deaths and is more than TB, Malaria and AIDS,” Meshram said.Advocating widespread use of solar energy, Dr. Meshram said, “We still use solid fuel in kitchens, power plants and industries. India stands first among air pollution deaths. We need to run a swach vayu abhiyan on the lines of Swach Bharat Abhiyan to tackle it,” he added.Dr. Meshram also announced the dates of the 3rd Orange City International Film Festival which will be held on Feb 7-9, 2019. “The Orange City Cultural Foundation will also hold a two day festival of films made by Jabbar Patel on Sept 8 and 9,” informed Meshram who is the chairman of the foundation.

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