In a first, a TV series to sensitise viewers on sanitation -Governance Now

In a first, a TV series to sensitise viewers on sanitation

Produced by Viacom18, Navrangi Re! is aligned with Swachh Bharat mission and will have a cameo by actor Anil Kapoor

Geetanjali Minhas | January 23, 2019 | Mumbai

#PM Modi #Swachh Bharat mission #sanitation #Navrangi Re! #Viacom18 #Anil Kapoor #Colors TV #faecal sludge management

Launch of Navrangi Re!

In an industry first, a television entertainment series will now set out to sensitise its viewers on the importance of behavioral change in sanitation habits, aligning its cause with Swachh Bharat mission.

The 26 episode series called Navarngi Re! is produced by Viacom 18 in collaboration the world’s largest philanthropic organization Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and BBC Media Action. It will air on Colors Rishtey from February 2, 2019, and raise citizen awareness on the technicalities of faecal sludge management through entertainment.

“After building and using the toilets comes its management, and we have attempted to bring awareness to the process through this series. As a company, we need to reach out to 600 million people today. We will also be trying to measure our viewers’ behavioral change with this exercise. We had pledged with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to make Mumbai open-defecation free and have worked in the space of behavioral change, toilets in the vicinity of our own office as well as over 220 toilets across Mumbai,” said Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO and MD Viacom 18.

Actor Anil Kapoor, who plays a cameo in the series said, “Every small step brings change. Being a part of Swacch Bharat, cleanliness is so important for all of us. It starts from your home and expands to your mohalla (neighborhood), country and the entire universe. We need to have a clean surrounding and a world which is environment-friendly – that is the biggest concern today.”

He recalled his childhood from when he lived in Tilak Nagar area of Chembur in Mumbai and Rajendra Nagar, Delhi where toilets did not have flushes and flowing water. “Elders were given preference to use toilets and children would defecate out in small lanes. The toilets there had holes in cement for defecation and civic workers would open the ‘patra’ and empty out fecal matter in the mohalla” he said.

Navrangi Re! is not a PSA but a 13-week series which aims to showcase the various challenges faced in a community due to lack of proper sanitation facilities.

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