Skill Min junks ‘Chhapaak’ team plan for acid victims

The skill development ministry is believed to have dropped a proposal by the production team of film 'Chhapaak' to encourage acid attack survivors to do better in life, days after the lead character of the movie Deepika Padukone visited the JNU campus to express solidarity with students who were attacked.

Sources in the Ministry of Skill Development And Entrepreneurship said that as part of the regular process under communication and promotional activity for Skill India, the department concerned keeps getting ideas from media houses and organisations to cross-promote each other.

"The production team had approached Skill India for promoting the subject of the film (Chhapaak)," they said.

Also, "the actors" from the movie had met some acid attack survivors and specially-abled candidates from "our ecosystem which are also Skill India beneficiaries" inspiring them to do better in life.

"However, there is no formal engagement with the related party," said a senior official, when asked if the proposal has been dropped.

On Tuesday evening, Deepika made a surprise visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru University to express solidarity with the students who had been attacked.

Her decision to stand in silence with JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh, who received head injuries during the attack on Sunday evening, at a public meeting in the campus prompted many in the industry and outside to praise her for "quiet grace" and "courage".

'Chhapaak' is a film based on acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal.