Canvas to canvass for nutrition cause Vidya to unveil exhibition

Actress Vidya Balan has taken up the cause of the campaign

Glamour and creativity will come together on Tuesday evening to raise awareness for a worthy cause — fighting the ills of malnutrition.

Along with King Khan and his Knights, the city on Tuesday will play host to its very own Vidya “Bidya Bagchi” Balan, who will inaugurate a special exhibition of artwork by 14 eminent Calcutta-based artists at the Oberoi Grand.

The exhibition, under the Art for Nutrition banner, is part of the Horlicks Aahar Abhiyan initiative launched by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare in association with NGO Child In Need Institute (CINI), The Telegraph and Anandabazar Patrika.

The list of participating artists reads like a who’s who of the Calcutta art circuit: Aditya Basak, Atin Basak, Bimal Kundu, Jogen Chowdhury, Kingshuk Sarkar, Partha Dasgupta, Pradip Maitra, Rabin Mondal, Reshmi Bagchi Sarkar, Samir Aich, Shuvaprasanna, Sreyashi Chatterjee, Subrata Gangopadhyay, and Sumitro Basak. Twelve of them have contributed a painting each, while Chowdhury has given four. Kundu has contributed a sculpture.

Vidya, who has taken up the cause, will unveil each artwork at the exhibition.

“This (campaign) is close to my heart because I believe that nutrition is a basic need. And Horlicks is such a part of our culture, it’s one of the oldest brands in the country. And of course, it gives me a chance to come back to my hometown, Calcutta,” the actress told Metro.

“Across the world, government efforts to increase awareness about social and health issues are being supplemented by the private sector,” said Shuvaprasanna. “I was happy to learn that an initiative on malnutrition was being taken in Bengal. This will benefit society in the long run. The seeds of the perils of a malnourished life have been sown in the minds of children who were asked to paint on the subject. They will grow up to be volunteers and leaders in the campaign, extending a helping hand to their less privileged brothers. Approaching slums and tea gardens with messages about the need for nutritious food, which will be within their means, may improve the quality of life there.”

Most of the artwork that will be displayed at the exhibition are on the “mother and child” theme and aims to raise awareness about the need for right nutrition for children.

The proceeds from the exhibition will go to CINI for the implementation of the Horlicks Aahar Abhiyan, which aims to tackle malnutrition in the state.

CINI has identified two target areas for the first phase of implementation — the Mazdoorpara slums in ward 66 and the Chamrapatti slums in ward 65 of Calcutta and the tea gardens of Dhupguri block in Jalpaiguri district. Their plan of action includes launching awareness workshops, monitoring the health and weight of children in the target areas, training local employees and working with the Integrated Child Development Services centres.

Tuesday’s function will also see a performance by children from CINI, who will get an opportunity to have their pictures clicked with “Bidya didi”.

What

Art for Nutrition, an exhibition by eminent Calcutta artists for the Horlicks Aahaar Abhiyan to raise awareness on malnutrition launched by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare
in association with Child In Need Institute, The Telegraph and Anandabazar Patrika

When & where

7.30pm on May 29 at the Oberoi Grand

Special guest

Bollywood star Vidya Balan to unveil each artwork