ATK

New Delhi [India], August 28: Ace theatrician Raell Padamsee, under her braindchild, The Create Foundation, celebrating its 20th anniversary, curated the ‘Rise Up for Equality’ Women’s Festival at the Royal Opera House, Mumbai. With the increasing crimes against women and children, the aim of this festival is to make Maharashtra the safest place for women and children. To that end, Raell Padamsee has also associated with the Mumbai Police, Maharashtra Government and Judiciary in the initiative. Vivek Phansalkar, the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, graced the festival on Day 2 and accepted a specially-crafted ‘103 Rakhee’ from Raell Padamsee on the occasion. Through the 103 Helpline, the Mumbai Police ensures that the Nirbhaya Squad will reach the women in distress, in minutes! The team of Nirbhaya Nodal Officers comprising of Pushpalata Gawali, ACP Kalpana Gadekar, Renuka Badge, ACP Jyotsna Rasam, Sunita Viswanath Vasave and Daksha Bipin Padvi were also present on the event.

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“It is an absolute honour and pleasure for me to be here today. Raell Padamsee and The Create Foundation have been a doing great job but while she (Raell) works at the theatre, the message that she conveys to the society is amazing! I saw the plays at the Rise Up for Equality festival and they are about a woman’s choices, equality, and her space in life as she wills and wishes. And, inherent to all this is her safety and security which the Mumbai Police works night and day for. We have our helplines, primarily 103, and Raell came up with the idea that we should increase the outreach of the helpline through the festival. I also feel we need to create an environment where people really don’t have to dial 103 (smiles),” expressed Vivek Phansalkar, Commissioner of Police, Mumbai.

Together with the Royal Opera House and Avid Learning, supported by the IMC Ladies Wing, presented by The Create Foundation and Bajaj Group, ‘Rise Up for Equality’ witnessed two powerful plays ‘Bitter Chocolate’ and ‘Untitled’, both starring the internationally acclaimed actress Lushin Dubey. While ‘Bitter Chocolate’, based on Pinki Virani’s eponymous best-seller, is a poignant solo piece portraying child sexual abuse in India and its impact on young minds, ‘Untitled’ is inspired by the eminent writer Vijaydan Detha’s ‘Nyari Nyari Maryada’ and Nobel-Laureate Dari Fo’s ‘Medea’. Both the plays are directed by Arvind Gaur.

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Day 1 of the festival saw Satyanarayan Chaudhary - Joint Commissioner of Police, Greater Mumbai, Justice Neela Gokhale, Justice Revati Mohite Dere, Justice Sadhana Sanjay Jadhav, actors Kunaal Roy Kapur and Makrand Deshpande, Raell Padamsee, Lushin Dubey, Laljee, Niraj Bajaj, Minal Bajaj, Nandita Puri, Arvind Gaur, Anupama Verma, Uma Da Cunha, Kailash Surendranath, Aarti Surendranath, Poonam Soni, Roger Pereira among many and laud the initiative. Besides Vivek Phansalkar and the Nirbhaya Nodal Police Officers, Day 2 of the festival was attended by fitness guru Mickey Mehta among dignitaries.

Raell Padamsee, who believes that nothing will change until women themselves decide to take their destiny into their own hands, imparted, “Only when we work together can we make Maharashtra the safest state for children and women. We are here to help the police and judiciary to, first, disseminate information that is already available; and secondly, in the implementation and amplification of the different schemes, laws, and facilities available, which address issues for safety of children and women.”

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