Sharmila Tagore

Bollywood star of yesteryears and Censor Board chairperson Sharmila Tagore was on Thursday nominated as the 'Goodwill Ambassador' of UNICEF to raise awareness about the impact of AIDS on children in India.

Tagore, who celebrated her 59th birthday on Thursday, joined a host of celebrities like Roger Moore, Jackie Chan, Shakira and our own Amitabh Bachchan and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, to become a popular face to highlight the problems faced by children.

The dimpled actress, who stole millions of hearts in the 60s, starring in such hits as Kashmir Ki Kali, Aradhna, Safar, Amar Prem, Satyakam and Daag, said she knew it was a responsible and demanding role and hoped Indians would support her changeover from a peddler of fantasy to that of the real world.

"This is a wonderful birthday gift, a touching gesture. I would speak on behalf of children, their rights, their needs and their future because every child has the right to live in a community, country and the world," she said.

"Children are often ignored when it comes to AIDS and it is high time we recognise the potential of the deadly disease to wreak havoc on childhood. We need to stand between children and death," she said.

"Children are often absent in the minds of policy makers, pharmaceutical companies, and other lords and masters. They are easy to be forgotten because they do not have purchasing power, can't vote, can't form pressure groups," she said.

Tagore, who has worked with UNICEF on polio eradication programmes, will soon kickstart a campaign tour with her first stop being Andhra Pradesh besides conducting interviews and working on a film that depicts the plight of HIV-infected children.