Kollywood stars contribute for flood relief in Kerala
Kerala has been severely affected by the torrential rains that triggered massive floods and landslides. Said to be the worst in nearly a century, the floods have cost lives of about 380 people and properties worth over Rs 20,000 crores. During the initial phase itself, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan raised awareness about the gravity of the disaster by requesting people to contribute generously towards the relief fund.
Following his request, various political parties, businessmen and celebrities have donated to the Cheif Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF). Many of the top celebrities from Tamil cinema have contributed huge amounts to rebuild the state and help better the lives of those affected by the floods.
Brothers Suriya and Karthi were the first to reach out by contributing Rs 25 lakhs to the relief fund. Karthi flew down to Thiruvananthapuram to personally hand over the cheque to CM. Kamal Haasan and star network’s Vijay TV together donated Rs 50 lakhs. Vijay Sethupathi donated Rs 25 lakh while Dhanush contributed Rs 15 lakhs.
Actor Vijay, who enjoys massive fan following in Kerala, did his part by reaching out to those affected through his fan clubs. Trade analyst and journalist Sreedhar Pillai tweeted,
“#ThalapathVijay is doing his bit towards #KeralaFloodRelief through his fan clubs. He has pledged ₹70 lakhs via their bank accounts and asked them to directly reach across those in need of relief and rehabilitation. [sic]”
Siddharth, who was one of the heroes of the Chennai Floods in 2015, was very much active in social medias by spreading word about the disaster that rocked Kerala. He was highly critical of the apathy shown by the Centre and North Indian medias towards the state. Apart from donating Rs 10 lakhs, he also started the Kerala Donation Challenge where he challenged his colleagues in the film industry to contribute to the CM’s relief fund.
