"Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, aaja, aaja", the song from Mithun Chakraborty's 1982 blockbuster "Disco Dancer" is a favourite with Marina Maximova and many others from her country, Kazakhstan. But current heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan is unknown there.

Marina, editor-in-chief of Almaty TV, cannot understand Hindi but loves Mithun's films as well as those of Bollywood legend Raj Kapoor. "The films are so sensitively made, so beautiful," Maximova said in Russian, which was translated by her colleague Irina Kunanbayeva.

"Indian films are very popular in our country. We have film clubs where the films are shown," Maximova told IANS here. She was in the capital along with Kunanbayeva, a freelance journalism trainer, and Alexandr Gabchenko, producer with television web service Stan.tv.

The three were here last week to attend a workshop, "Template for Multi Media Training Manual on HIV/AIDS Reporting for Media Professionals", sponsored by Unesco.

"Sita Aur Gita", the 1972 hit film that had Hema Malini in a double role, is another film that Maximova remembers.

But ask about Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and other current reigning actors - and one draws a blank.

"Yes, there is someone very beautiful, some Rai," ventures Gabchenko. "Oh, Aishwarya Rai," you suggest helpfully, to which he replies, "Yes, she's the one." But the mention of Mithun's name lights up their expressions. "He is a favourite with us. Last year, Mithun was a special invitee at a function and all his fans were waiting eagerly for him. But he failed to turn up. We were all very disappointed," said Gabchenko.

There is a special channel in Kazakhstan that beams only Indian films, music and entertainment programmes, which are quite popular, said the strikingly pretty Kunanbayeva.

The Indian embassy there is also quite active and organises film programmes, Hindi teaching classes, yoga and other activities, she said.

On the status of HIV/AIDS in their country, Maximova informed that Kazakhstan has more than 8,500 HIV positive cases in a population of 16 million and there have been 500 deaths so far.

The government is quite active in its intervention programmes and has launched the National Programme for AIDS Prevention, under which it provides free treatment, medicines, condoms and syringes, counselling and also guarantees access to education.

Some cases of discrimination against HIV positive people do come to light, especially in hospitals, workplaces and in families, but the government is trying to tackle it, said Maximova.

The virus is spread mainly through intravenous drug users and migrant labour coming from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, she said adding that in the last few years, sexual contact has also become one of the causes.

A major problem that the administration faces in the country is the distance factor. There are 14 cities in Kazakstan that are not heavily populated. The cities are spread over a large territory and it becomes difficult to track people and reach out to everyone in order to conduct camps, said Kunanbayeva.

The group has prepared a document on HIV/AIDS in their country, the first such, and it has received a positive response from international agencies, she informed.

Visiting Agra is a must on their itinerary, said Maximova, before they head back home.