Salman Khan initiates a charity drive for kids with congenital heart defects. Team Viva reports
As the verdicts of multiple legal cases against Salman Khan near, the actor seems to have pushed all barriers to project his benevolent side to the world. The latest move is a major collaboration called ‘The little Hearts Program’ with Fortis Foundarion, a philanthropic arm of Fortis Healthcare, which provides free treatment to kids suffering from congenital heart defects.
Talking about his initiative at the Gurgaon hospital, he said, “Fifty two children have already been treated within six weeks of this programme. The number is expected to rise.”
Over 500 children will be operated under this pan-India programme, where expenses will be borne by Khan’s charity organisation ‘Being Human’.
After Delhi, the next stop will be Chandigarh, ludhiana and other cities.
The 47-year-old actor also inaugurated a ‘Being Human’ store on the hospital premises.
“Ten per cent of sales of clothes will go to charity,” the store manager told us.
The place houses tees, chinos, caps, trousers, footwear and wallets for men and kids.
“Our T-shirts and chinos are a rage. Though this is our first standalone store in Delhi NCR, we already selling through five other large format stores in the Capital,” Hemant Kumar, Being Human’s visual merchandiser of North India told us. “During the last five months since our entry in Delhi markets, we churned out business worth over Rs1 crore,” he added. He believed the charity organisation helped Khan reposition himself from Bollywood’s bad boy to a kind-hearted figure.
At the do, Khan shared his idea of philanthropy. “Everybody in the film industry does it. Sometimes, they talk about it and sometimes they don’t. Some people do it genuinely, while others do it to shed guilt of their misdeeds. Unlike before, I don’t think about the intention. What matters most is the act of benevolence,” he said, adding, “One should not give funds to individuals. Give them to hospitals or schools, where multiple people can take the benefits.”