MUMBAI MIRROR (March 26, 2014)

B-town's men are coming together for the cause of the girl child. Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Farhan Akhtar, Ranbir Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra are some of the names who will take to the ramp at Shabana Azmi’s annual fashion fundraiser. The proceeds from the show, which will see the actors in ensembles designed by Manish Malhotra, will go to Mijwan Welfare Society (MWS), an NGO founded by the actress’ poet father Kaifi Azmi.

 Named after the hamlet in Uttar Pradesh where Kaifi was born, the organisation focuses on empowering rural women. The first fundraiser in 2011 saw Manish crafting ensembles out of fabric embroidered by the women of the village.

 The latest edition wil also showcase their chikankari and there will be a segment called Men for Mijwan. “When we started we had a single embroidery centre in Mijwan. Today we have 10 centres across UP and counting," says Shabana. “I am indebted to these stars for their support. If we are able to rope in a few more names, we plan to make it an all-men show,” she added.

 —Mumbai Mirror Bureau