Shatrughan Sinha should learn when to remain Khamosh! The veteran Bollywood actor of the 1970s and 80s is returning to his freewheeling and unpopular Shotgun ways. In a sarcastic reference to superstar Akshay Kumar’s handsome contribution of Rs. 25 crore to the PM CARES fund for Covid-19, Sinha said that announcing charity was “vulgar”.
At 74 only, surely Sinha has not forgotten the Rs. 51,000 donation he had magnanimously announced himself to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s ‘Green Bihar’ campaign in 2011 when he was a BJP MP from Patna Sahib? Not just that, but Sinha’s images of going over to the CM’s bungalow to flamboyantly hand over the cheque became public too.
Shatrughan Sinha with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
Not stopping at describing Akshay’s charitable act as vulgar, but careful also not to mention the Sooryavanshi superstar’s name, Sinha went on to say in an interview to a Bollywood site that “it was offensive and demoralizing to hear someone had contributed Rs 25 crore” and they would be “judged for their volume of concern for the current situation by the amount of money”.
There’s an army of people working day and night to keep us safe, our families safe. Lets together say #DilSeThankYou to them because that’s the least we can do. @mybmc @MumbaiPolice pic.twitter.com/ANf1ynTP09
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) April 9, 2020
Putting his foot further into his mouth, Sinha recklessly and incorrectly said, “In no part of the world do celebrities flaunt the amount they give for charity. Charitable causes are meant to be a private affair.” PeepingMoon.com begs to differ. See the Box on Hollywood Celebs’ Contributions below. Sinha rudely concluded the interview by saying, “I fear showbiz is now in the danger of collapse, so now we have it being replaced by show-off biz.”
While Akshay has chosen to maintain a dignified and respectful silence to Sinha’s boorish observations, the superstar’s many fan clubs have taken strong exception and trolled him mercilessly. When Akshay had made the contribution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many Bollywood actors had praised his large-heartedness. However Sinha’s daughter Sonakshi, who did four films with Akshay, said she doesn’t believe about talking or flaunting how much she has donated for Coronavirus or for any charity for that matter.
Name : Akshay Kumar
City : MumbaiMere aur mere parivaar ki taraf se...
Police, Nagar Nigam ke workers, doctors, nurses, NGOs, volunteers, government officials, vendors, building ke guards ko #DilSeThankYou pic.twitter.com/N8dnb4Na63— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) April 9, 2020
A veteran Bollywood trade analyst sought to explain Sinha’s sour grapes griping as being the waspish reactions of a man who had become a dissident BJP MP and joined the Congress after being denied a ticket for the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. “He lost the Patna Sahib seat to the BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad and has become bitter. I don’t know why Sinha criticized Akshay’s contribution to PM CARES. He has conveniently forgotten what a big thing he made of his small Rs. 51,000 cheque to Nitish Kumar’s campaign for a cleaner and greener Bihar in 2011.
Hollywood Celebs Contribution to Covid-19
Several celebrities of the Western world, including Hollywood actors, singers and musicians, fashion designers, chat show hosts and sportspersons, are stepping up and putting their privilege to good use by assisting those whose lives and livelihoods have been impacted by Covid-19. Among them are:
Lady Gaga: In addition to curating a WHO benefit concert scheduled for Saturday, April 18, the pop star has also worked with the Global Citizen organization to raise more than $35 million to buy protective equipment for health care workers.
Rihanna: The Clara Lionel Foundation, founded by Rihanna in 2012 and named in honor of her grandparents, donated $5 million to Direct Relief, Feeding America, the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, and other organizations fighting COVID-19.
Leonardo DiCaprio: DiCaprio helped co-launch America’s Food Fund, a charity created to help low-income families, the elderly, those facing job losses, and children who rely on school meals. It raised $12 million by April 3.
Oprah Winfrey: Donated $10 million to Coronavirus Relief.
Dolly Parton: Donated $1 million.
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds: Donated $1 million to food banks.
Ciara and Russell Wilson: Donating one million meals to a Seattle food bank.
Jay-Z and Meek Mill: Donated 100,000 surgical masks.
Kylie Jenner: Donated $1 million to fund protective gear for LA hospital workers.
Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel: Donated $10 million to various charities.
Roger Federer: Donated $1 million to help vulnerable families.
Rudy Gobert: Donated $500,000 to support Covid-19-related social services.
Kristen Bell: Donated $150,007.96 to No Kid Hungry. The reason for the uneven amount is because her kids wanted to join her in her donation as well, Bell said.
Donatella and Allegra Versace: The fashion designer and her daughter donated $213,677 to the intensive-care department of Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Donated $1 million to the Frontline Responders Fund.
Gwyneth Paltrow: Donated $100,000 to the Frontline Responders Fund.
