HYDERABAD: ‘Puli Raja’ is back! Not just him, Baahubali, Businessman, Autodriver, Bhaarat, Mestri and several other popular Tollywood characters are back with the mission of spreading awareness on AIDS and promoting safe sex practices. Take a walk along necklace road and you will find flexes graced by these popular characters.
A banner at the road shows a condom partly drawn out of its sachet with the message ‘condom thapaka vadandi. AIDS ni dhoorangha unchandi’ (‘Use condoms, keep AIDS away) is displayed along with AIDS Helpline number 1097 which people can dial to know where to avail free test for AIDS and other details.
The ‘Puliraja’ campaign has been revived and relaunched by Telangana State AIDS Control Society (TSACS) which aims to increase awareness about the disease and make its posters viral so that people know which numbers to call for help and where treatment can be availed. A new poster reads ‘Poorthi aarogyanga unna Puliraja ki AIDS undha?’ (Does Puliraja who is in the pink of health have AIDS?).
Such was the popularity of the 2003 ‘Puliraja ki AIDS vasthundha’ campaign that it had become the talk of the town.
The posters of the campaign went viral not just in the two Telugu-speaking States, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but also Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Apart from this, characters from Tollywood hits ‘Bahubali’, ‘Businessman’, ‘Oka Laila Koraku’ and other movies too have been used on posters to drive home the message to use condoms and prevent AIDS.
Telangana State AIDS Control Society project director Dr Preeti Meena told Express run-of-the-mill messages wouldn’t do the trick, “We need to design posters that people will remember like ‘Puliraja ki AIDS vasthundha?’
The posters will be put up at public spaces to spread awareness.”
The Baahubali poster reads ‘knowing your defence can win you the battles of life, like Baahubali. Ensure protection in your sexual life for a healthy life ahead.’