Radhika Madan is a happy camper. The actress, who has been away from her family since the countrywide lockdown was announced, boarded a plane as soon as travel restrictions were relaxed and took off for her hometown. Announcing, “Mai aa rahi hu Maa”, she shared a picture of herself at the airport, all togged up in a mask, face shield and kitchen gloves, a last-minute jugaad. Airport fashion has certainly entered a new realm.
► Kartik Aaryan ready to pay tariff for some tareef
On Thursday, Kartik Aaryan finally gave in to the demands of the narcissist within and asked fans for “thodi tareef” for a sun-kissed picture of himself. “Bohot mann kar raha hai”, he added, as a way of explanation. While some, like director Mudassar Aziz, indulged him, writing, “Ek dum Greek God lag rahe ho”, others asked to be paid Rs 500 in cash before singing his praises, which Koki was okay with. But when a fan rhapsodised that the actor didn’t need to ask for praise, since he “is worth a million heart attacks”, Kartik quipped, “Sorry, I am not paying for any bypass”. Ouch.
► AbRam Khan celebrates 7th birthday with his favourites
He may not be able to celebrate it with his pals, but AbRam Khan has no reason to complain about his seventh birthday. Like mom Gauri pointed out, he is spending time with his favourite person, dad Shah Rukh, who read out from his favourite book, Scary Stories, even as the little one’s favourite song “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles played in the background. It may be a while though, before AbRam can play with Karan Johar’s son Yash, who chose him as his play-date during a recent rapid-fire round with his Dadda.
Bollywood celebs extend help in the time of crisis
With the world and the nation fighting the deadly coronavirus pandemic, good samaritans from Bollywood have chipped in to help in the time of crisis. Not only did the Bollywood stars pledge support to the PM CARES fund and other relief work but they also arranged different means to help the administration tackle the situation. Here's how the Bollywood stars have been helping the nation to fight the coronavirus...After donating Rs 25 crores to PM CARES fund and Rs 3 crore to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Akshay Kumar has now pledged his support to Mumbai Police. The official handle of CP Mumbai Police, Param Bir Singh, thanked the Bollywood actor for his generous support. "Mumbai Police thanks @akshaykumar for contributing Rs. 2 Crore to the Mumbai Police Foundation. Your contribution will go a long way in safeguarding the lives of those who are committed to safeguarding the city - the men and women of Mumbai Police!," the official handle tweeted.Desi girl Priyanka Chopra Jonas has also been pledging support to fight the global pandemic. If reports are to be believed, The Sky Is Pink actress has provided 10,000 pairs of footwear to frontline workers in Los Angeles and also sent 10,000 pairs for medical workers in public and government hospitals in India. Photo: Instagram/@priyankachopraAfter opening up his Juhu hotel to accommodate medical workers and providing meals to the underprivileged in Mumbai, the actor has now stepped up efforts to help migrant workers living in Bhiwandi. Sonu will be delivering meals to 25,000 migrants living in Bhiwandi during the holy month of Ramadan. “I’ve assured them that their requirements for the holy month will be taken care of. In these difficult times, it is important for each one of us to stand up for the other. Through this initiative, we will provide special meal kits so they didn't stay hungry after fasting all day," said Sonu. Photo: Instagram/@sonu_soodBollywood actress Rakul Preet Singh and her family has been helping over 200-250 families living in a slum close to her home in Gurgaon. The actress' family is preparing and sending home-cooked meal two times a day ever since the lockdown was announced. The actress and her family pledged to support these families till things normalise. "My dad figured this entire slum where people are completely out of their basics right now. We are facilitating two meals a day for all those people and we have decided to do it till the time the lockdown is in place. If the lockdown gets pushed further, I will keep doing that. For now, I have committed for the month of April and then we will see, as the situation unfolds. The food would be cooked at a place in my society and will be sent out to those people." The actress further added, "It is very important to understand that many of us are privileged. We have a house, help, food, ability to stack up in case of emergency, but this is when you give it to society. For me, nothing can give me more happiness than the smiles on these people's faces when they eat their meal. And that will make me extremely happy. So that's my way of expressing gratitude for everything I have and it is a very small effort. Whoever can make a difference should, because I truly believe in giving back to society." Photo: Instagram/@rakulpreetWhile the bigwigs of Bollywood are doing their best to help during the crisis, Farah Khan's daughter Anya too stepped in to help during the pandemic. Anya is sketching before and after school (online school due to lockdown) to raise fund. Her proud mother shared a video on socials and wrote, "1 LAKH RS raised by Anya!! Everyday b4 school n after.. n all weekends, she s diligently sketching for donations! A BIGGG thank you to all who have donated. All monies are being used to feed strays n to send food packages to the slums! (Sic)." Photo: Instagram/@farahkhankunderBollywood actress Ayesha Takia and her husband Farhan Azmi turned their hotel in Mumbai into a quarantine facility for cops. Ayesha's father-in-law Abu Asim Azmi shared the news on social media. He wrote, "Alhamdulillah, I am pleased to inform that on the request of Sr. PI - Colaba Police Station have handed over my Gulf Hotel in Colaba to @mybmc & @MumbaiPolice as a quarantine center for Police Personnels serving in South Mumbai." Photo: Instagram/@ayeshatakiaBollywood's Bhaijaan Salman Khan transferred fund into the accounts of daily wage workers of the film industry. The actor had also supported 25,000 daily wage workers who have been badly hit due to the nationwide lockdown. Photo: Instagram/@beingsalmankhanBollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been pledging support to fight the coronavirus in various ways. The actor and his wife Gauri Khan offered their four-storey personal office space in Mumbai for quarantine facility. BMC thanked SRK and Gauri for their kind gesture. The official handle of BMC tweeted, "We thank @iamsrk & @gaurikhan for offering their 4-storey personal office space to help expand our Quarantine capacity equipped with essentials for quarantined children, women & elderly. Indeed a thoughtful & timely gesture! Photo: Instagram/@iamsrkBollywood actor Varun Dhawan has provided meals to poor people who are without jobs and homes, and healthcare workers. He has collaborated with Tata Trust for the initiative. "I have deep admiration for all those who are risking their lives by working on the frontlines. I've committed to provide meals to doctors and medical staffs at hospitals. All meals will be provided through the Taj Public Service Welfare Trust. It's a small step. But during a crisis like this, we have to make every step count. I will continue to do what best I can," Varun wrote on social media. Photo: Instagram/@varundvn
