Miss Universe and Bollywood to lit up India's AIDS campaign

[Guest guest]

Miss Universe and Bollywood to lit up India's AIDS campaign

New Delhi, Sept 4. (UNI): Indian film-makers and actors are to join

Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Mendoza this Diwali to bring more

light into AIDS awareness in the country.

The Puerto Rican will be walking down the ramp in nearly a dozen

Indian cities to drive home the message, 'Get Tested (for AIDS),

It's in Fashion'. Giving support to the Miss Universe Foundation

campaign in the country are a host of Bollywood actors including

Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty and Dia Mirza.

Also joining in the efforts are Mani Ratnam, his actor-wife

Suhasini, Tamil actor Madhavan, Malayalam playback singer K J

Yesudas and Malayalam actor Prithviraj. Yesudas, who lit the lamp

for the Miss Universe show in Kochi last year, will this time sing

for the campaign in the city.

" Zuleyka told me she is excited about visiting India, " US-based

Indian fashion designer Sanjana Jon, who is organising the Miss

Universe tour, said in an interview to UNI here. " She said her visit

during Diwali would be an achievement if she could change the life

of at least one person in India. "

The official announcement of the India tour, which includes a day

trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, will be made on September 9

during the New York Fashion Week.

The Miss Universe has been properly briefed by her predecessor

Russian Glebova, who visited six cities last year as a

global ambassador for the AIDS awareness campaign, according to Jon,

who is in India to prepare for the visit that begins in the last

week of October.

Goa, which is facing a serious threat from HIV/AIDS, could be one of

the new cities the new Miss Universe has on her itinerary along with

Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Mendoza, of course,

will be following up the campaign by Glebova in New Delhi,

Bangalore, Kochi, Mumbai and Chennai last year.

Among the Bollywood supporters of Mendoza, actor Salman Khan is

ready to tie up with the Miss Universe " whereever she wants me " ,

says Jon, who has received assurances from Anil Kapoor, Dia Mirza

and Shilpa Shetty about their support " if they are in India during

the Miss Universe tour " .

" Salman reaches out to the masses, including truck drivers. His

involvement in the campaign is of utmost value, " said Jon, who has

also tied up with Hollywood director Manoj Night Shyamalan for AIDS

awareness in India through the Chennai-based NGO Udacum Kavangal

(Helping Hands) of 'Papa' Vidyakar.

Mendoza will be the third Miss Universe to tour India for an AIDS

awareness campaign and the fourth to be associated with the cause in

India after Miss Universe 2003 Amelia Vega Vega and Glebova. Miss

Universe 2004 Hawkins lent a helping hand to the Indian

campaign at a charity show with Shyamalan in New York.

If Jon is able to pull it through, Backstreet Boys singer Howie

Dorough would be accompanying Mendoz to India. " He is very keen to

come to India, " says Jon, whose dream is to transform the Miss

Universe campaign in India into the amfAR annual Cinema Against AIDS-

like charity at the Cannes film festival attended by world

celebrities.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200609040310.htm