AP Deputy Minister and collector turn actors for documentary on organic farming

Visakhapatnam: Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Tribal Welfare Pamula Pushpa Sreevani has a surprised everyone by turning actress for a documentary. She donned the role of a schoolteacher to promote organic farming in Andhra Pradesh. Vizianagaram District Collector M Hari Jawaharlal portrays a senior official in the project, handles by senior technicians from the movie industry.

The shooting for the movie took place near Thotapalli and Gorada villages in Vizianagaram district. Titled Amrutha Bhoomi, balladeer Vangapandu Prasada Rao scripted the film. The day’s shooting schedule began with Pushpa Sreevani acting as a teacher in Gorada Tribal Welfare School. Describing the documentary to be unique and amazing, she is excited to work in the film, which is creating awareness about organic farming and how it improves our health.

Hari Jawaharlal had recently turned farmer by cultivating a half-acre land inside his official residence. The collector had tilled the soil with a tractor and divided it into two blocks. He mentioned that the film would bring revolutionary changes among farmers.

Cine actor Prasad Babu, who played the central male lead role, said that food and clothes are being laced with chemicals. He mentioned that it was high time that we discarded such items and society resorted to organic farming.

Another schedule was shot at Thotapalli, and hundreds of people from nearby villages rushed to the spot to see the collector in his official role. Ajit Premji Trust funded the documentary film and trustee of Jattu, an NGO, supervised the production of the film, district officials said.

Around a year back, Grammy Award-winner Ricky Kej, with the support of a few organisations, shot a music video titled ‘One with Earth’. The song highlighted zero-budget natural farming by the tribals in Araku and Paderu region of Vizag Agency. The song also included the sounds of tribals and their traditional musical instruments.

The almost three-minute-long video was released in New York City in the USA by Ricky, and it soon became viral on YouTube and other social media. The video showcased the tribals setting up a successful pesticide-free farming model, and it also highlighted the strong bond between the land and farmers.