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Konkona Sen Sharma, who comes to south London for the Happy Soul Arts Festival

For all its razzamatazz and explosions, the cinema screen can be an effective tool for bringing taboo subjects to the attention of the masses. And what is more taboo than our own frailties and mortality?

My Left Foot and Philadelphia have proved that, so long as the film is good enough, cinema goers won't flinch from difficult' subjects such as cerebral palsy and AIDS (respectively). But, as ever, mental health seems to be playing catch up to its physical cousin - an imbalance that Indian film 15 Park Avenue is hoping to redress.

Konkona Sen Sharma plays Meeti, a young woman diagnosed with schizophrenia, and Konkona comes to Wimbledon and Putney to speak about the film, her career and playing this demanding role, as part of the second Happy Soul Arts Festival.

The week-long festival runs across south west London and Surrey and, through live music, film and talks, hopes to raise awareness of mental health issues among black and Asian communities, with Konkona's appearances among the most high-profile events.

And the Bollywood star says 15 Park Avenue strikes a very personal chord: "In a sense I've been preparing for this part all my life without knowing it, because I have a family member with mental health problems who I saw when I was growing up.

"A lot of my preparation was based on her and I am aware of how difficult it is for the patient's family.

"I can absolutely vouch for the film's authenticity."

She certainly can with that background, plus, her mother Aparna Sen is the film's award-winning director and a neurologist was among the pre-shoot consultants. But this is a film, not a documentary, so in the absence of Tom Hanks, strong narrative, performances and direction are required to reach out to those outside the sphere of mental illness.

From 15 Park Avenue: Shabana Azmi (as Anjali) and Konkona Sen Sharma (as her sister Meeti)

No need to worry about Konkona, a big name in Bollywood and star of some of India's most acclaimed recent films such as Omkara, Aaja Nachle and Page 3.

In 15 Park Avenue, Konkona's character is a good-hearted woman with a handsome fiancé and a bright future. All is thrown into doubt when she is diagnosed with schizophrenia and her single older sister Anjali (Shabana Azmi), driven partly by envy, begins to chase off Meeti's suitor with fears of her worsening condition.

Speaking from the noisy streets of Mumbai, Konkona, 28, says: "This is one of the most difficult parts I have played, as I play a character who inhabits two sets of worlds at same time.

"It is not a double personality disorder; the schizophrenia we are portraying is one which has lots of hallucinations, and you don't quite know where one world ends and where another world begins.

"It is a quite taboo subject in India. So many families include somebody with some kind of mental health problem, and they can't always enjoy normal social functions like weddings or dinner parties, but still it's a subject that's not really part of mainstream society."

Free admission to all Happy Soul events, booking essential, call 020 8682 6375. Konkona interviewed by film-maker Pratibha Parmar plus 15 Park Avenue screening, Wimbledon Odeon, Thursday, March 13, 6.30pm. An Afternoon With Konkona Sen Sharma, Odeon Putney, Friday, March 14, 2pm.

Sidebar Pick of other Happy Soul events Film - I'm A Cyborg (South Korea with English subtitles) A girl who thinks she is a combat cyborg checks into a mental hospital and encounters a wonderful array of other psychotic patients. Odeon Kingston, Saturday, March 15, 6.30pm.

Music - Lovers & Friends - an evening packed with reggae bands from the acclaimed Sound Minds charity, including former Aswad member Dee Griffiths. The Bedford, Balham, Sunday, March 9, 7pm.

Comedy - Festival patron and writer/comedian Meera Syal offers some witty insights into Asian life and holistic health, accompanied by a sumptuous spread of Asian food. Vestry Hall, 336 London Road, Mitcham, Wednesday, March 12, 1pm.

Visit swlstg-tr.nhs.uk for full listings.

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