By Hindustan Times
John Abraham’s first home production, Vicky Donor, which opens on April 20, revolves across the still taboo and contentious issue of infertility. However the actor is hopeful that the film will spread awareness about sperm donation as a viable alternative to childless couples. “Ever for the reason that promos started airing, we’ve been getting mails and calls from fertility centres on how they may be able to pitch in, without even seeing the film,” he exults.
However, John admits that even today, the theory of accepting a stranger’s sperm is exactly no-no for progressive single girls living in metros. “Recently, I mentioned the topic with three such youngsters, one in every of whom said she would adopt if she couldn’t concieve, the opposite said sperm donation was absolutely out and the third admitted that it'd be an option provided that all other alternatives were exhausted,” says John, who's surprised by their inhibitions for the reason that it’s perfectly acceptable for the terminally ill and for elderly spouses abroad to freeze their sperm.
“Even in India, soldiers and border security forces are known to take action when going to war or manning troubled areas,” he adds. So will star producer John Abraham donate his own sperm for public good? “Why not?” he retorts.
“But if it happens, it'd be for purely altruistic and philanthropic reasons and certainly not for commercial gains. As my lead actor Ayushmann says, if we will donate blood to blood banks to save lots of a life, why can’t we donate sperms to offer a life?”
‘Will pay as much as Rs. 1 lakh’
As a part of his research, director Soojit Sircar of Vicky Donor says they met up with IVF specialist Dr Malpani, who arrange the primary sperm bank in India, together with doctors in Delhi and Mumbai.
“While footballer David Beckham’s sperm is most wanted within the west, couples in India are able to pay big money for high CEOs or even advertise for an IITian’s sperm,” he says, adding that the standard rate is Rs. 10,000-15,000, but couples pays even as much as Rs. 1 lakh with generous tips. Most do something about the family background and what the donor does.
But even once you have the required one, in 70 per cent of cases, the lady would possibly not finally end up pregnant. “Only in rare instances is the hit rate 70-80 per cent,” says Soojit. The business continues to be disorganised and entire of quacks, he warns.
But now more young couples are open to the idea, particularly among Mumbai’s upper and upper-middle classes. Soojit attributes the change to ladies popping out in their conservative upbringing to just accept a donor’s sperm: “My writer, Juhi Chaturvedi, is a girl. I told myself if she could speak about this, I MAY make a movie at the subject.”
