Members of the Indian film fraternity have been actively working to help people impacted by coronavirus - either by organising online concerts to entertain the public or by raising money to help the poor. Bollywood royalty, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra are lending a helping hand.
B-town’s hunky-Hercules like actor Sonu Sood arranged 10 buses to facilitate the safe return of 350 migrant labourers who were stranded in Mumbai due to the lockdown. The 46-year-old actor now plans to arrange transport for other workers who need to return to their home states.
Shah Rukh Khan – fondly referred to as the “Badshah” (king) of Bollywood has turned one of his in Mumbai into a quarantine facility for COVID-19 positive patients. Shah Rukh has also arranged for 25,000 pieces of personal protection equipment for doctors in Maharashtra. The Meer Foundation – which helps and rehabilitates acid attack victims in India - has also been distributing 2,000 packages of food to underprivileged communities in Mumbai.
Earlier last week, Bollywood joined hands with Hollywood to host the nation’s biggest online fundraiser concert called "I for India". The brainchild of B-town directors Karan Johar, and Zoya Akhtar, the event saw performances from Priyanka Chopra, Will Smith, A.R. Rahman, Akshay Kumar and the Jonas Brothers and ended up collecting over $7 million, which has been donated to a social service forum called GiveIndia to help the poor.
B-town celebs including Shah Rukh, Arjun, and Shahid Kapoor have also expressed solidarity with frontline workers like the Maharashtra Police – including changing their Twitter and Instagram display pictures to match that of the state police force.