Actor Akshay Kumar vows to donate ₹25 crore for the needy at this time of Coronavirus crisis, says that he is nobody to do charity
Monika Rawal Kukreja (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 30, 2020)

Trust Akshay Kumar to be the first one to stand up for a cause and lead by example. Whether it’s working relentlessly for Bharat Ke Veer or contributing for Assam floods, Chennai floods, and Pulwama martyrs, the actor has always wholeheartedly extended financial support for these causes. And now, taking it a notch higher, Kumar has vowed to contribute a whopping sum of ₹25 crore to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s PM-CARES fund to help the government in its fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.

When we reach out to Kumar to know more about this significant contribution, he tells us, “You can call it my weakness or whatever, but I am never able to express my feelings or thoughts behind gestures of contributing to a cause.”

On Saturday, PM Modi announced the creation of this fund that “accepts micro-donations, too” to strengthen disaster management capacities and encourage research on protecting citizens. Soon after, Kumar tweeted to pledge his contribution and wrote, “...all that matters is the lives of our people”.

Mention to the actor how he has set the bar high with this generous amount, and Kumar says with the utmost modesty, “Pehli baat toh yeh ki main kaun hota hoon ‘charity’ ya ‘donate’ karne waala? (who am I to donate or make any charity?)”. Doosri baat ki hum apni country ko Bharat Maa kehte hain. Mera yeh contribution actually mera nahi hai. Yeh meri maa ki taraf se Bharat Maa ko hai. (We address our country as Bharat Maa. So, this contribution is not from me. It is from my mother to my motherland.)”

Known for films such as Airlift (2016), Mission Mangal, and Kesari (both 2019), among others, that uplift the patriotic spirit, the actor says that he will always stand up for the safety of his motherland. “It’s important that I refer to my mother here because poori duniya mein ek fear hai that senior citizens will be ignored and left to themselves during this coronavirus crisis. Hum yeh soch bhi kaise sakte hain. Meri maa ki jaan important hai, aapke maa baap ki jaan important hai. (How can we even think like that. My mother’s life is important and so are the lives of your parents.) No matter who we are, trying to save every single life is critical right now. Maine sirf iski taraf apna ek chhotta sa farz ada kiya hai (I have only done my small bit towards this cause),” says the 52-year-old actor.

Acknowledging Kumar’s actions, PM Modi replied to him and wrote, “Great gesture @AkshayKumar. Let’s keep donating for a healthier India.”

Not just that, even his “proud” wife, Twinkle Khanna, lauded his gesture and tweeted in her signature witty style. “The man makes me proud. When I asked him if he was sure as it was such a massive amount and we needed to liquidate funds, he just said, ‘I had nothing when I started and now that I am in this position, how can I hold back from doing whatever I can for those who have nothing’,” she wrote.

Among others who appreciated Kumar’s gesture calling him a “true hero”, and an “inspiration” are actors R Madhavan, Kriti Sanon, Paresh Rawal, Rahul Dev, filmmaker Milap Zaveri, music composer Salim Merchant, and cricketer Hardik Pandya besides millions of his fans.