Blood Relative, directed by Nimisha Mukerji
Wearing his signature Eminem t-shirt, Imran looks 15. In truth, he's 24, and employed at a Mumbai call centre. But, suffering from Thalassemia – a genetic blood disorder that is common in some parts of the world, including Asia – his growth has been stunted. Imran is one of the children in India for whom Vinay Shetty fights: raising money for the iron chelation medication that can keep them alive, and lobbying the Health Minister to fund the expensive drugs. While parents pray for a solution, Mr. Shetty is a real-life saviour, giving everything – even cutting into his own life savings – for these children. In her second feature documentary, Nimisha Mukerji (65_RedRoses) follows a year of their lives (Divya's too – a 15-year-old trapped in a little girl's body) during which everything falls apart, but nobody loses hope.
Oct. 6, 6:45 p.m., Granville 2; Oct. 10, 4:15 p.m., Granville 7; Oct. 12, 9:15 p.m., Granville 2