Several leading Bollywood stars, including Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan, have been making substantial monetary and other contributions in the fight against coronavirus. Many of them took to social media to let their followers know how they are part of the cause.
Now, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha has come out against those who appear to be making a show of their charity. According to entertainment portal Bollywood Hungama, Sinha took a dig at actors, especially Akshay Kumar, who contributed Rs 25 crore, saying, “It is downright offensive and demoralising to hear someone has contributed Rs 25 crores.”
Claiming that nowhere else in the world celebrities announce how much they give to charity, he said, “Charitable causes are always a private affair. I fear showbiz is now in the danger of collapse, so now we have it being replaced by show-off biz,” according to the entertainment portal.
“When I hear someone has given Rs 25 crores, I wonder if the amount I will give is of any use. Stop it! Everyone is doing their best,” he was quoted as saying. Furthermore, he appealed to the actors not to make to make the contributions a “school boy’s competition”.
In addition, he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the decision to announce the lockdown saying the move has saved the country. He, however, said the action came late. “Why was the American president travelling to India and shaking hands with PM Modi when the pandemic had already broken out across the world. It was feared Trump was contaminated. Luckily he tested negative,” he was quoted as saying.
While several actors made monetary contributions to the ongoing fight against COVID-19, Salman Khan reached out to daily wage workers in the film industry who would be the worst-hit due to the lockdown. Hrithik Roshan bought N95 and FFP3 masks for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation workers, while Shah Rukh Khan launched several initiatives to support those in need.