Not Today director Aditya Kripalani calls film's anti-suicide message very relevant: 'Cinema has power to make change'
Aditya Kripalani, director of Not Today, a film on suicide prevention, talks about the issue's relevance
Not Today, a compelling 90-minute feature that delves into the critical issue of suicide prevention, recently premiered online. The film, directed by Aditya Kripalani, gained traction after Ira Khan, daughter of Aamir Khan and founder of Agatsu Foundation, announced she would host the film’s screening at her mental health support center.
The film’s director calls Not Today a relevant piece of cinema for our times. “The idea we have today is to talk not just about suicide prevention centers and create awareness about suicide prevention centers, but also what kind of conversation happens there,” he says, adding, “People who don't know about therapy have watched films like Goodwill Hunting and film by Alvin Sargent, Ordinary People. So films like that if you see then you get to understand what happens in therapy and those two films have really helped people open up to the idea of therapy worldwide and so we felt that creating a film which makes you understand the system behind suicide prevention will actually hopefully encourage people to call, to make that call.”
Not Today follows the story of Aliah Rupawala (Rucha Inamdar), a dedicated young suicide prevention counselor, as she engages with a man on the brink of suicide, played by Harsh Chhaya. Through their emotional and deeply personal journey, the film offers a poignant exploration of healing, human connection, and the power of empathy.
When asked if cinema has the power to change the world, Aditya answers in the affirmative, saying, “I do think that cinema has the power to make positive change because like when you have a breakup in friends, you can watch Dil Chahta Hai, you need to have a film about suicide as well so that when you are feeling that way or you need to explore that emotionally, you have something to bank on and to watch and feel vicariously connected as if you are going through something when someone else is. So yeah, in that sense, cinema has tremendous power to bring about positive change.”
The film has received praise from industry stalwarts including Gajraj Rao, Ruhee Dosani, Manav Kaul, Cristian Munglu, Doron Ben-David, Shonali Bose, Aahana Kumra, Mithila Palkar, and many others. Reacting to this response, the filmmaker says, “The response has been really something else. I mean if you check the comments on YouTube under the film, every comment is extremely strong and explosive almost in terms of, I don't know how to explain, it's like hyperbole. It's not just positive or comparative, it's superlative.”
Not Today’s release was announced on September 1 by Anurag Kashyap, marking a significant moment in the discourse around mental health and suicide prevention. The film is now available on YouTube.
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