Going out for a movie or a concert may be out of the question, but Bengal’s favourite stars have found new way to connect with audiences- this time, for a united cause.
Around 35 celebrity pages are going live on Facebook to ask for donations to raise funds for NGOs, in an initiative started by Facebook to support charities including HelpAge India, The Akshayapatra Foundation, GiveIndia and Goonj, that have taken up the fight against the new coronavirus.
Facebook has launched Fundraisers, an online charity event where people are donating to charities.
More than 150 celebrities and over 350million fans have emerged as the true stars of the initiative, which goes on till May 1st. The hashtags #SocialForGood and #TogetherForCovid19 are doing the rounds on the social media platform, where 100% of the funds will go to the fundraiser NGOs.
Film director and actor Raj Chakraborty raised funds for HelpAge India with a re-release of his song Ei Bangla amar Hashbe Abar, featuring a collective of artistes including Jisshu Sengputa, Abir Chatterjee, Paoli Dam and Srabanti Chatterjee. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee made a special appearance, motivating viewers, saying, “We have to fight corona and defeat it, so that Bengal can win.”
Actress Ritabhari Chakraborty went live with RJ Praveen, to raise funds for HelpAge India.
RJ Praveen and Ritabhari Chakraborty interact in their live video From video
“The people who are at high risk- our grandfathers, grandmothers, all the elderly people. If they catch the virus, their chance for survival is really low,” she said, adding that the fundraiser is especially for those in low-income families.
RJ Praveen shared data, saying that out of 106 million elderly people in India, 53 million are from low income families. So far, they have managed to raise close to Rs. 1.5 lakhs.
HelpAge India is a leading charity in India working with and for disadvantaged elderly citizens for nearly 4 decades. They also run Asia’s largest mobile healthcare network for elders through their Mobile Healthcare Units (MHUs).
Fossils frontman Rupam Islam and actor Paayel Sarkar also raised funds for the NGO.
Radio jockey and TV show host Mir went live and raised almost Rs. 2.5 lakhs in a fundraiser for NGO GiveIndia that he named after his daughter Muskaan.
“Besides the tragic toll on human life, with countries shutting their borders and quarantines, economies have taken a huge hit. The tragedy has just begun to unfold in India and the job losses are mounting, especially among the daily wage workers. Experts say the effect on this group will be catastrophic,” said Mir in his fundraiser page.
Rituparna Sengupta shares two of her paintings From video
Actress Rituparna Sengupta also helped raise funds for the NGO, all the while answering beauty tips, and motivating people to read books. She also shared some of her paintings, and one she made with her daughter.
“Fish are very positive,” said Rituparna “They bring good fortune.” Speaking about her other painting of a forest, she said “We need to love Mother Nature a little more.”
Falaque and Srabanti in their live video Screengrab from video
Actresses Mimi Chakraborty and Falaque Rashid Roy pitched in for Goonj, an initiative by production houses SVF and Hoichoi.
Goonj aims to build a bridge between the urban and the rural by empowering communities in far-flung villages to solve their own problems. They believe in a culture of mindful giving in urban India by collecting stocks of everyday necessities, from clothes to medicines.
Actor and YouTuber Varun Pruthi has raised Rs. 10 lakhs for HelpAge India, making him the highest contributor in India so far.
