Akshay Kumar has once again shown why he is counted among the most compassionate voices in Bollywood. As Punjab battles one of the worst floods in its history, the actor has pledged Rs 5 crore towards relief and rehabilitation efforts. Humbly, he referred to his gesture not as a donation but as an act of service.
‘It’s my sewa, my small contribution’
In a media statement, Akshay said, “I maintain my view on this. Yes, I am giving Rs 5 crore for buying relief material for the Punjab flood victims, but who am I to ‘donate’ to anyone? I feel blessed when I get an opportunity to extend a helping hand.”He added, “For me, it’s my sewa, my very small contribution. I pray that the natural calamity that has struck my brothers and sisters in Punjab passes soon. Rab mehr kare.”
A track record of giving back
This is far from the first time Akshay Kumar has stepped up in moments of crisis. Over the years, he has consistently extended financial aid and support in times of disaster and national need.During the Covid-19 pandemic, he donated Rs 25 crore to the PM-CARES Fund, one of the largest contributions by a Bollywood actor at the time, and supported Mumbai’s BMC with PPE kits and sanitisers.In 2017, he co-launched the Bharat Ke Veer initiative with the Government of India to support the families of martyred soldiers, contributing generously himself and urging citizens to do the same.In 2019, he pledged Rs 5 crore to the families of CRPF jawans who lost their lives in the Pulwama attack.In 2018, he donated Rs 1 crore each to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund and the Bharat Ke Veer corpus for flood victims.Back in 2015, he extended financial aid for Chennai flood relief efforts.
Celebrities join in for Punjab
Alongside Akshay, many other celebrities have come forward to support flood-hit families. Sonu Sood launched a helpline and distributed essentials through his foundation. Ammy Virk pledged to rebuild 200 of the worst-affected houses. Randeep Hooda has been on the ground in Gurdaspur, personally overseeing distribution of food and water. Diljit Dosanjh adopted ten flood-affected villages in Gurdaspur and Amritsar, providing food, medical supplies, and rehabilitation support.Several others including Karan Aujla, Gurdas Maan, Babbu Mann, Ranjit Bawa, Satinder Sartaaj, and Kapil Sharma have also contributed through donations and on-ground efforts.
