Indian Women Rising joins hands with ‘Educate Girls USA’ to raise funds for the education of Bittu's cast

Indian Women Rising a cinema collective founded by Ekta Kapoor Guneet Monga Tahira Kashyap Khurrana and Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh is collaborating with lsquoEducate Girls USArsquo an NGO founded by Safeena Husain to raise funds for the two young leads from the Oscar contending short film BITTURani and Renu KumariThe collaboration has witnessed the support of Global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas who gave a shoutout to the fund raiser event standing in solidarity with the right to education for the young girlsBITTU explores the close friendship between two schoolgirls on a seemingly normal day at school Set in the against the backdrop of Himalayas Bittu follows the story of an eightyearold who must take matters into her own hands when her community fails to protect its most vulnerableThe film has garnered critical acclaim and recognition for its distinct cinematography and poignant storytelling BITTUrsquos strength is also its unconventional casting The central characters of the Bittu and Chand are played by first time performers who were casted from the local community in Uttarakhand where the film was shotPriyanka Chopra Jonas shares ldquoBittu is moving raw and real It takes a devasting incident and presents it from a unique perspective As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to help give it the attention it deserves Itrsquos a great example of how women supporting women can make anything possible and the Indian Women Rising Collective is proof of that and I canrsquot wait to see what they do next Cinema the world over needs more women to bring their voices stories and perspectives to the fore and this is one step in that direction This fundraiser will help these 2 amazing young girls Rani amp Renu Kumari continue their education and pursue all the dreams and ambitions they have for themselves and I hope that many will come forward to help make this a realityrdquo Prajakta Koli shares It is my absolute pleasure that I get to be associated with a beautiful piece of art like Bittu at whatever capacity I have so much love for Guneet Tahira and Ekta for always telling stories that touch your heart in ways unknown Also getting shortlisted for the academy is a tremendous feat and I am so proud of how content is evolving in our countryElaborating more on this Karishma Dev Dube director of BITTU adds This film exists because of the unforgettable performances of Rani Kumari and Renu Kumari Without our two young leads Bittu would never have the life span it currently does representing India on global platforms such as the Academy and the Directorrsquos Guild Of America Regardless of their challenging circumstances these little girls were consummate professionals keeping up with the rigor of film production When you watch this film you will not be able to deny the fact that Rani and Renu deserve everything or at the very least a shot at life that provides opportunities that can help sharpen the irrefutable talent that already exists in themToday Rani and Renu like many other children struggle to stay in class They are coming from a migrant laborer community who are especially hard hit during the pandemic I am so grateful for Educate Girls and Indian Women Rising who have come together to help us change the lives of these two incredible children and their families If we can give them the life they deserve then it would be the best thing we have achieved with this filmIndian Women Rising IWR in a joint statement shared ldquoBITTU is a special film and the two girls are its very soul Performances of Rani and Renu in the film proved it that each child is gifted and just needs an opportunity to flourish We are thrilled to collaborate with Educate Girls USA and raise funds to secure education and overall development of Rani and Renu Education is the basic right of every child and it is our humble effort to bring a tangible change in the lives of these two talented girlsrdquoSafeena Husain Founder of Educate Girls USA highlighted ldquoChildren need to get equal opportunities to access quality education With this collaboration we are trying to bring the vital importance of investing in girlsrsquo education to the forefront It is the best investment the world can make as it positively impacts 9 sustainable development goals including health nutrition employment even climate change This investment also helps break the intergenerational cycle of poverty patriarchy and illiteracy as an educated girl is more than twice as likely to educate her childrenrdquo The fundraiser is scheduled on 5th March2021 and will be moderated by digital sensation Prajakta Koli who was seen in the recently released web show ldquoMismatchedrdquoWhile the fundraiser will prominently emphasize the importance of girlsrsquo education it also aims to raise awareness about its related advantages on overall development of the girl child including confidence health and hygiene her agency to decision making and empowerment