23 November,2023 11:36 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Nana Patekar in a still from The Vaccine War
In 2020, the COVID-19 hit the world so hard that the world came to a standstill. There were many brilliant minds trying to find a cure or prevention, India was not behind. A high level experts committee was set up by the Ministry of health and family welfare, ICMR and Bharat Biotech to fight against all odds. The experts together invented a vaccination when everything was against us; made in India, for India. Disney+ Hotstar brings this inspiring story of India's COVID-19 vaccination, âThe Vaccine War', directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Pallavi Joshi and I am Buddha Productions releases exclusively on the platform on November 24, 2023. The Vaccine War script has been officially selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Library.
The vaccine project was headed by Director General of ICMR Dr. Balram Bhargava along with the scientific team of bioengineers led by Dr. Priya Abraham, Director of ICMR-National Institute of Virology, consists of Virologists Dr. Sreelekshmy Mohandas, Dr. Nivedita Gupta, and Dr. Pragya Yadav; Epidemiologists and Infectious Disease Scientists Dr. Rajni Kant Srivastava, Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, Dr. Samiran Panda, Dr. Varsha Potdar and Dr. Enna Dogra Gupta.
The film stars an ensemble cast featuring Nana Patekar, Pallavi Joshi, Raima Sen, Anupam Kher, Girija Oak, Nivedita Bhattacharya, Sapthami Gowda, and Mohan Kapur and is set to stream exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar.
Talking about the release, Director Vivek Agnihotri said, "The Covid-19 pandemic was a tough time for everyone across the globe, with no one knowing what truly hit us. More than that, the difficult part was to find a cure, a vaccine that ensured none of us ever succumbed to this disease again. In this war against time, the medical brains of our country left no stone unturned to save humankind. These unsung heroes are truly the ones who got us through this war, a war against a virus that was so difficult to understand. This movie for me is a tribute to all these heroes and I am so glad with The Vaccine War coming to Disney+ Hotstar as viewers across the world will come to know the lengths our doctors went to, to find this vaccine."
ALSO READ
Saiyami Kher on her prep for the Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Germany
When Vivek Oberoi took the entrepreneurial route to be financially secure
Sikandar: Salman Khan resumes shooting after severe rib injury
Kangana Ranaut's 'Emergency' release date pushed back from September 6: Report
‘Why bhai, why?’: Disappointed fans question Salman Khan for his new single
Talking about the film, Anupam Kher said, "The Vaccine War showcases India's strength in front of the world, when everyone was struggling with their daily routines. The brilliant team of Indian Biotech engineers were busy finding out the vaccine to keep us safe from the COVID-19. Vivek Agnihotri and his team have brilliantly captured their struggle, fight and motivation to achieve. I am extremely happy that the film is releasing on Disney+ Hotstar and this story of unsung heroes will reach many Indians."
Talking about the film, veteran actor Nana Patekar said, "The Vaccine War is a story that definitely needed to be told - the one about the people that risked their lives to find a solution to a deadly pandemic. When Vivek came to me with the script of this film, there was no question, in the blink of an eye my response was yes! For me, telling the stories of these doctors was so important because no one really knew what they were going through for almost two years. We as citizens had the option to stay at home, but they didn't, they still had to go out there, risking their lives so there would be a stop to this pandemic. With this film streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, many more people across the globe will now discover the medical geniuses India has and how they stood strong against the pandemic to find a vaccine."
Unravel the unknown facts of the deadly pandemic with The Vaccine War set to stream on November 24, 2023 exclusively with Disney+ Hotstar.