Anil Kapoor inspires Freida, jhakaas!

Freida Pinto, who recently hosted the pre-Oscar bash in support of girl child is also an active member of Plan India which supports various issues involving the same cause.

According to sources, it was Frieda’s Slumdog Millionaire co-star Anil Kapoor who inspired her to join the cause. The actor, who has been actively working with the organisation for over six years now, is known to have gotten his Holly director Danny Boyle involved as well. Danny often travels to India incognito (at least twice a year) to work closely with them.

“It’s all thanks to Anil that there’s a greater awareness of this cause. Recently even the Bachchans donated a large amount towards the cause,” says Bhagyashree Dengle, executive director, Plan India. “While many actors of his caliber don’t have to work at the basic level, he actually goes all out to travel with us, and visits the villages and interiors. It’s very inspiring and yet he does all this without making a big hue and cry about it. He had even donated his entire remuneration of Slumdog to the organisation in the contract itself,” she adds.

Anil admits that the cause of the girl child is very close to him and his family. “Be it human trafficking, education, lack of infrastructure and basic amenities that keeps girls away from schools, I believe that beyond talking, the fieldwork is required and that’s what we do.” He insists that an all-round approach is needed to make it work. Ask him about maintaining a low-profile about his work with the organisation and he quips, “That’s because, it’s not a PR exercise. I am not doing this to be written about. I do this because I really believe in it.”