MTV Nishedh

Featuring storylines and characters that are meant to be relatable and engaging, MTV Nishedh follows the lives of a group of young friends seeking to pursue their dreams as they tackle relationship dramas, family issues, societal stigma, challenges around personal matters such as sex and virginity, unplanned pregnancy, and stigma around TB. It aired for 7 weeks beginning in January 2020 on MTV India, Colors Rishtey, and Viacom18's over-the-top (OTT) subscription led video-on-demand (SVoD) platform Voot.

To develop the series, the research team traveled to rural parts of states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, creating various focus groups around topics that can be difficult to talk about in Indian society. The information gathered from these discussion sessions helped shape MTV Nishedh's content and style.

A synopsis from one of the episodes: After realising that he has multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR TB) due to recurrence, sweet and shy Vicky, who is a producer at Radio Zingg, is shattered. Feeling stigmatised by society, he struggles to regain confidence. Fortunately, his love interest, the open-minded Megha, is sympathetic towards his plight. Even so, the viewers see a strong hesitation amongst the characters to speak up and spread awareness about TB. Will Megha, a radio jockey (RJ) at Radio Zingg, do a radio show on TB against the wishes of her boss? When will society ever open up about uncomfortable, awkward topics? How will Vicky and Megha be able to live out their lives and balance things while coming out of the closet about the MDR TB affecting Vicky and their relationship?

Neeti Mohan, an Indian female vocalist who has in the past collaborated with the United Nations (UN) on issues around women's empowerment, came forward as a supporter of MTV Nishedh by lending her voice to the show's anthem, #KhulKeBol. Produced by Indian music composer Chirrantan Bhatt with lyrics by Manoj Yadav, the song is meant to be a powerful call to youth to liberate themselves from silence and shame. Neeti Mohan commented, "Music has the ability to express thoughts and emotions. For a powerful cause-driven show like MTV Nishedh, #KhulKeBol will bring voice to it."

The interactive MTV Nishedh website provides access to the TV series (videos) and radio shows, offers blogs that delve further into the topics covered in the series, provides health information and answers to potentially sensitive questions, and includes a "get help" feature.

Youth, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Medical Abortion, Tuberculosis

Of her work on the series, actress Malhaar Rathod said, "MTV Nishedh brings to light relevant health issues that seek attention and acceptance. It gives a voice to many youngsters out there who are facing similar stereotypes. I am glad to be a part of a show that goes beyond just entertainment and drives home a purpose. I think its time we treat sex and conversations around it as normal. My character is challenging and depicts many aspects of the modern Indian woman. I hope the show connects to the audience and succeeds in spreading awareness."

To measure MTV Nishedh's effectiveness, a 3-wave study is being conducted to track changes in attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge related to the messaging of the show and campaign. Focus groups have allowed for more in-depth understanding of the campaign's impact. To date, key findings from this research include:

• Contraceptive usage doubled among those who were exposed to the MTV Nishedh campaign: Before its launch, 62% of respondents said they had not used any contraception in the previous 3 months. During the campaign, just 31% of respondents who were aware of the campaign said they had not used contraception. Driving this shift was a sizeable increase in condom use, from 29% before the campaign to 54% among those who had seen it.
• Though respondents who knew of the campaign were more likely to use contraceptives, their answers to specific questions about intrauterine devices (IUDs), birth control pills, and injectable contraceptives show that there is still room for growth in overall knowledge of the application and effectiveness of different types of contraceptives.
• Abortion safety education rose, and stigma dropped. For example, there was a decline in agreement that abortion brings shame to the woman's family.