Film makers Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar have always done out-of-the- box films (Dahavi F, Devrai) which can only be called unusual yet socially relevant. With their latest oeuvre, Nital, the duo has scored with the theme — that of a person living with leucoderma, or vitiligo, and staged a casting coup of sorts. For, among the seasoned actors who people this film is noted playwright Vijay Tendulkar making a feature film appearance. ‘‘I play a grandfather — I’m not an actor, so I’ll just follow my role — its a small one,’’ says Tendulkar.The film currently being shot in a bungalow on leafy Prabhat Road has been produced by Shweta Association, a vitiligo support group, to raise awareness about the condition which, though not debilitating, carries a stigma. ‘‘The film looks beyond the outer appearance of a person and examines issues of self-image, beauty and relationships,’’ says Sukthankar.‘‘We knew the role demanded a venerable figure with literary leanings and Tendulkar fit the bill. When we asked whether he would consider the role, he accepted even without reading the script,’’ says Bhave.Dr Maya Tulpule, founder member of Shweta Association approached the film makers. ‘‘Those who have vitiligo are emotionally scarred by social rejection.This is not a contagious or debilitating disorder, nor has it been conclusively proved to be a hereditary disease, but a society which puts a premium on good looks discriminates against those who have vitiligo, damaging self-image and confidence,’’ she said. Bhave, who has also written the screenplay, said it was based on personal accounts of those who had vitiligo and research.
