Bollywood’s lukewarm support to the victims of unprecedented tragedy in Jammu and Kashmir has angered many fans, says Karan Bhardwaj
Something that really took our Bollywood by storm was the recent phenomenon of Ice Bucket Challenge. like fire spreads in jungle, the cold water surfaced all over the tinsel town and our shining stars were seen dipping in that water, to rescue people suffering from AlS. Maybe, there was something really cool about the cause. However, the same stars have now invited the wrath of their fans for not coming forward in the support of Jammu and Kashmir victims.
The state of J&K is witnessing unprecedented floods resulting in the death of hundreds of people while several thousands have gone missing. The beautiful city of Srinagar has submerged under water and is looking like a giant lake. However, most of the Bollywood celebs who took up the Ice Bucket Challenge are either keeping mum or have restricted themselves to Twitter wishes and prayers.
The sparodic silence in the showbiz industry has upset many fans and they have questioned the ‘selective activism’ practised by their stars. “They braved cold waters, ice and raise donations for AlS. Now the same league of stars are keeping mum on Jammu and Kashmir,” says a varsity student. However, actors like Kunal Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan have urged people to donate. The 36-year-old Kapoor and Care India have joined hands to raise funds that will be utlilised to distribute survival kits to the affected families and individuals. The kits would include basic amenities for survival such as tarpaulin, mats, hygiene Kit (soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, sanitary napkins and disinfectants soaps) and blankets.
Roshan has also written an open letter in support of this collaboration. But what has surprised many that the Ice Bucket Challenge, which made less sense in India, caught the immediate fancy of eminent personalities while the widespread tragedy in the state of J&K failed to inspire stars to come out of their cocoon and take some concrete steps.
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri wrote on social networking website, “A common man can’t do much at this time but often prayers help. let’s pray for our Kashmiri brothers.”