STAR India Will Air 'Girl Rising' Documentary on Girls' Empowerment with Help of Bollywood Stars
On Saturday, August 29, STAR India's flagship channel Star Plus will air Girl Rising, an acclaimed documentary from Academy Award nominee Richard E. Robbins that raises awareness of gender inequality and advocates for women's empowerment. The film is the centerpiece of the Girl Rising campaign, which promotes women's rights around the world, and this broadcast will be the first time the film has been shown in India.
Girl Rising tells the stories of eight girls from Afghanistan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haita, India, Nepal, Peru, and Sierra Leone as they struggle to overcome impossible odds and realize their dreams. After successfully launching the film and campaign in 2013, Girl Rising recently partnered with USAID, Intel, and HP to bring the documentary to new markets and worked with STAR and the Indian government's Ministry of Women & Child Development to produce a Hindi version of the film, entitled Girl Rising - Woh Padhegi, Woh Udegi ("She Learns, She Will Fly").
This new version of Girl Rising features appearances from leading Indian actors such as Priyanka Chopra, Freida Pinto, and others, as well as voice narration by Amitabh Bachchan. Chopra and Pinto are also producers of the film and ambassadors for the Girl Rising campaign.
"We've all come together to narrate real life stories that highlight the amazing, positive impact that education can have on young girls," said Chopra. "We believe that storytelling is a powerful way to inspire people and also empower them to take action. I'm grateful to the STAR TV Network for joining hands with us to take this film and its important messages to millions of homes across the country.
STAR India has a long history of airing content focusing on women. Satyamev Jayate, the network's groundbreaking social awareness talk show hosted by Aamir Khan, has done special episodes on female feticide, the dowry system, and sexual violence, and in the spring, Star Plus launched Chal Kar Pehel, a national campaign and walkathon raising awareness for gender equality. Learn more about STAR's social impact work.
"Star Plus has constantly worked to redefine the role of television as an agent of social change," said STAR CEO Uday Shankar. "Our aspirational content has especially resonated with the women of this country and has influenced their changing role in society... We believe that the happiness of a nation depends on how we treat our daughters."
