Bollywood mobilises to help during the COVID-19 pandemic
More than 25 million coronavirus cases have been reported in the country. Many celebrities and film stars are actively helping out, whilst some are laying on the beach in the Maldives. For its part, the entertainment industry in Mumbai is counting its losses as a result of the pandemic.
Mumbai (AsiaNews/Agencies) – As India grapples with the ravages of COVID-19, Bollywood celebrities are stepping in to show their solidarity. In fact, India’s film industry itself has not been spared during the health emergency.
In the past 24 hours, 263,533 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the country, a slight drop from previous days. Overall, 25 million people have been infected across the country. The death toll remains high with 4,329 deaths reported yesterday for a total of 278,719.
Given such devastation, major players in India’s entertainment industry are trying to do their part. The most active is Priyanka Chopra, 38, one of India’s best-known actresses with 63 million followers on Instagram.
Via the foundation she runs together with her husband, singer Nick Jonas, she launched a social media campaign late last month in cooperation with GiveIndia, a non-profit organisation.
Since then, more than a million dollars have been raised to buy medical equipment like oxygen generators and personal protective gear for healthcare personnel (hundreds of doctors have died in India fighting the pandemic).
Chopra, however, has also used her status to criticise US President Joe Biden for buying vaccines while India doesn't have enough.
Other famous actors have also become involved. Salman Khan is providing meals to frontline workers through his Being Human Foundation.
Actress Shilpa Shetty is handing out cooked meals and groceries to the needy through the Khaana Chahiye ("We need food") organisation.
Some of the Bollywood celebrities lending a helping hand have experienced the coronavirus first hand. This is the case of Sonu Sood who, who, once recovered from COVID-19, set up a channel on the Telegram app called ‘India Fights With Covid’ to help patients find a hospital, oxygen cylinders and medicines.
Such help is a way for these stars to repay their audience who went to see their movies and allowed them to become wealthy.
However, not everyone in Bollywood has heeded the call of duty. Alia Bhatt, Disha Patani, Janhvi Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, and Tiger Shroff have been criticised on social media for posting images of themselves on Maldives beaches in the midst of the pandemic.
It should also be noted that the pandemic has also hit Bollywood in its pocketbook. During the first lockdown last year, cinemas closed for months and productions stopped with a major impact on the industry’s profitability.
According to a report by Ernst & Young, India’s media and entertainment sector’s total revenue fell by 24 per cent in 2020, with an estimated loss of US billion. Films were especially hard hit as cinemas stayed closed. Now Bollywood's fear is that the new lockdown during the second wave could cause further damage.
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01/06/2021 10:52
03/03/2021 09:35
