Hyderabad: Citizens take to social media to showcase lockdown blues

Hyderabad: Creativity behind the locked doors has fortunately not hindered the citizens from overcoming their lack of mobility and accessing other facilities.

Individuals, who have been used to tapping the social media for raising a point or two about social issues have continued to do so despite hiccups all over.

From a group of media students producing a short film on how desperate alcoholics should keep away from getting hoodwinked by cybercriminals to a set of children sending messages to the media, the government and the public on how to conduct one selves during these trying times, there are examples galore.

'We read on social media how alcohol lovers allowed themselves to be exploited by cyber frauds who easily made them part with thousands of rupees for a bottle or two of liquor' said Sriman Keerthi, an aspiring film director.

He got together with a select team of his friends, all of them exposed to the motion picture format and made a 8-minute comic caper – 'Kaavalna Vadda', all of it remotely. 'Despite the government according permission to open wine shops, we are still seeing traffic for the film' revealed P Venkatesh, who edited the film.

Tajalli productions, a Hyderabad-based not-for-profit production house is also doing its bit during this phase. 'We had made a very short film, under three minutes, to spread awareness on coronavirus and how one should keep oneself safe. We had children say those messages for the intended audience and it is being appreciated' said Abdul Ghani, who heads the unit.

Apart from this film, the team has made a film on spreading awareness to combat fake news during this critical time. 'We have other topics too like clean Bakrid, triple talaq etc which have been covered' adds Ghani.

Theatre professionals too are chiming in with their projects. Titled 'Lockdown Letters', a collective art project by Bhagyashree Tarke, an alumna of National School of Drama, it is a 21-word set of letters, one love letter and one hate letter to the same person. There are a few situations suggested to the participants and they have to base their letters on those conditions. 'With Instagram exploding with original creative content, my effort too will get its traction' says Tarke.