The team of students comprising Aisha, Arushi, Bhavya and Naman collaborated with the Mission Sambhav: The War Against Drugs, an initiative led by the HVT (Himalayan Volunteer Tourism) Foundation, an NGO working for various social causes. Moving far beyond classroom learning, they visited real locations where addicts gather, exposing themselves to harsh social realities and hidden hideouts that left them deeply moved.
At local rehabilitation centres, the students met recovering addicts belonging to strikingly diverse backgrounds, including academically accomplished youth who had cleared competitive examinations alongside individuals born into families historically linked to drug peddling. The meetings reinforced a crucial understanding that addiction cuts across social, economic and educational boundaries, demanding empathy rather than stigma.
The documentary draws inspiration from Panki Sood, a social activist who overcame addiction nearly two decades ago and founded Mission Sambhav as a people-driven movement. “Addicts must not be isolated or labelled. Society itself must become part of the healing process,” she says. “Awareness, acceptance and collective responsibility are the only ways to bring individuals back into mainstream life,” she adds.
Addiction specialist Dr Satyavrat Vaidya provided medical insights, emphasising that long-term rehabilitation succeeds when communities support recovery rather than rejecting those battling addiction. A former BBC documentary filmmaker, now a NIFT faculty member, supervised the project and guided students in creating socially responsible storytelling rooted in real experiences.
Mission Sambhav will conduct awareness programmes in Ladakh, Kashmir and Kargil this August, engaging the youth and communities in a dialogue against drug abuse. The campaign has also received Corporate Social Responsibility support from Samir Chaudhry, founder of Trident Automobiles, Bengaluru, helping cover operational expenses.
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