Alia Bhatt and Aamir Khan from Latur (courtesy aamirkhan)
Highlights
- Alia participated in Aamir's campaign recently
- Anushka announced she'll be building an animal shelter soon
- Akshay Kumar is always among the first to help families of soldiers
Bollywood celebrities enjoy a lot of fame and power. It all comes from the love of their fans across the globe. They also make a lot of money through their films, endorsements, and modes of income. Sometimes they get flak on social media when they don't talk about social issues and giving back to society as Hollywood celebrities do. Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Taylor Swift and Mark Ruffalo are just some names that come up when we talk about most charitable celebrities. But in their defence, while they might not be visiting refugee camps like Angelina, many Bollywood stars are doing their bit in their own way. Here is a list of very recent events where Bollywood stars helped make it a better world.
Aamir Khan and Alia BhattEarlier this week, actors
Aamir Khan and Alia Bhatt visited Latur in Maharashtra and took the shovel in their hands to do some real work on the
ground for the Paani Foundation. Aamir started this campaign along with Satyamev Jayate director Satyajit Bhatkal for a drought-free Maharashtra. Roping in young celebrities like Alia is a way to encourage villagers and also to reach out to the youth. Alia also works for an animal-friendly NGO called Coexist. The young actress recently condemned the Kathua rape, saying, "It is a very disgraceful, shameful and terrible incident that has happened. As a girl, as a woman, as an individual, as a resident of this country, I feel very bad and hurt that something like this has happened. I hope justice is served."
Anushka Sharma On her birthday, actor Anushka Sharma announced her dream project. She will be building an animal shelter on more than six acres of land near Mumbai. The shelter will take care of aged, injured and abandoned animals and will work towards their health and hygiene. She announced this on the social media on her birthday on May 1.
Akshay Kumar Akshay Kumar is always among the first to help families of soldiers who sacrifice their lives on duty. After several such incidents, he has donated money to war widows. Earlier this week the actor moderated a debate with rural achievers at the New India Conclave with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He highlighted the stories of rural achievers from across the country and interacted with each one of them. On the public platform, he praised their efforts and encouraged them, "Everyone says geniuses come from cities, but I want to say that more geniuses come from villages."
Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika PadukoneAfter their much-publicised break-up some years ago, actors Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone have moved on personally and professionally as well. They co-starred in 2013 film Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani and 2015's Tamasha and while they haven't signed a third film together, Deepika and Ranbir are nothing loath when it comes to collaborating for a cause. So when Shabana Azmi recently reached out to them to walk the ramp for Mejwan Welfare Society that works towards empowering village-based small-scale industries and also does extensive work to educate and empower the girl child, they immediately agreed. The two stars walked the ramp and made headlines; they got all the mileage that the NGO needed and proved that charity is beyond any personal or professional agenda.
Apart from these names, there are many philanthropic celebs out there who give back without publicising and speaking about it. Their social work does make a difference at the grassroots level, and they prove that they are much more than pretty faces. Most of them get enough flak on social media a lot of times when people feel they are not doing enough, but then on such occasions, they deserve a pat on their back.