The idea blossomed in our minds about a year ago. The idea of using arts, media to convey health-related messages to the public, especially women we serve. Our organization, Mangal Pratap Stree Arogya Kendra, started full-time operations in July 2024. We are a non-profit for rural women’s health, and have evolved since then. We have learned and walked with the women in the region on their journey towards better health. On working closely with the women, we understood that their lives in the villages are hard. Nutrition is sub-optimal, aches and pains are prevalent, and multiple misconceptions and hesitation exist around menstrual issues, menopause, women’s cancers, non-communicable disease, and mental health.
Women help us prioritize
In 2023, we used a community participatory approach, where women’s opinions, voices matter. We used a prioritization exercise, where women were asked to place dot stickers-bindis- on their preferred mode of communication to discuss health-related topics. They prioritized posters/charts and storytelling over PowerPoint presentations/lectures/discussions. We have designed a bunch of posters since then and use them in workshops and meetings to lead our conversations. A few of them can be found here on our website.
For storytelling, our initial search was for a person in the villages near us who could write, sing, and perform stories through folk songs to relay our messages regarding women’s health. Our nurse, Ms. Poonam, knew someone from her village. One phone call led to the other, and we met Mr. Sandeep Bhaskar Jadhav in 2024. Back then, we discussed the possibility of street plays, short plays during the village fairs/ jatras, and that is still on our agenda. However, we explored the making of a short film regarding a topic that was close to our hearts.
Women’s uteruses
We had seen patients and read the news about women who had had their uteruses removed in their 30s and early 40s. The anecdotes indicated that these surgical procedures could have been prevented. On digging up data, we found that a study done on data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (a large study done spanning many states in India) showed that premature menopause is on the rise in India, the commonest reason for which was Surgical menopause (removal of uterus). The prevalence varies from 2.6% (state average) to 36% in different pockets of Maharashtra. Women of lower educational background; rural residence were more likely to experience premature menopause. Research shows that early hysterectomy with or without oophorectomy increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. The risk of osteoporosis is higher after premature menopause, translating to more fractures in later years.
Garbhasatya
Based on this premise, Mr. Sandeep Jadhav, artist, writer, and director, created a resonating short film titled ‘Garbhasatya’ in June-July 2025. The short film was shot in the Belati village nearby. The roles in the short film are played by artists from Mr. Jadhav’s company, Bhaskaranandi Chitra.
The first screening
Our founder director believed that the first screening of the short film should be for the women for whom we made the film. We screened Garbhasatya at our Arogya Kendra on July 18, 2025. The screening was attended by about 45 women from the nearby villages. The chief guests were two veteran OBGYNs Dr. Hazare and Dr. Trimal, from Sambhajinagar and Pune, respectively. The women enjoyed the movie, found it humorous and relatable. Our foundation’s first donor, Retired Group Captain from the Indian Air Force, Mr. Pratap Singh Pardeshi, and his spouse, Mrs. Mangal Singh Pardeshi, felicitated Mr. Sandeep Jadhav for the thoughtful short film. Retired IAS Mr. Praveen Singh Pardeshi graced the screening with a short speech, and so did our new team member Dr. Shobha Shah, OBGYN from Solapur. Dr. Priya Ajay Chauhan and Dr. Kusum Moray concluded the program with a Q&A with the rural women. The Q&A revealed that the women in attendance found the movie entertaining and informative. They had some good and kind words about their care-seeking at our center.
Looking forward
Mr. Jadhav now serves as the media head for our organization. We are working together to bring out more short films on health-related topics. In the coming months, with Mr. Jadhav’s guidance, we plan to conduct theatre and arts workshops for the rural residents, engaging them in health-related content.
Garbhasatya is just the beginning of our long journey of using media to improve the health of the people in the region.
You can view the short film Garbhasatya on this YouTube link.
