Delhi-based social activist Shabnam Hashmi was pleasantly surprised when she recently got a call from film producer Firoz Nadiadwala.
Delhi-based social activist Shabnam Hashmi was pleasantly surprised when she recently got a call from film producer Firoz Nadiadwala. He was keen on raising funds for her organisation, ANHAD, which works for harmony and democracy.
Hashmi had met him two years ago for some other initiative and was surprised when Nadiadwala came up with the idea of a star-studded fundraiser in Mumbai.
The funds generated will be used towards educating children in more than 500 villages in the Mewat district of Punjab where women’s literacy rates is the lowest in the country at 15%. Hashmi revealed that some girls there are married off at 12 or 13 years of age.
“It is heartening that the Hindi film industry has associated itself to a social cause,” Hashmi, who is currently in the city, told DNA.
Called ‘Celebrating Social Causes’, the event was held at a Juhu hotel on Saturday evening. The organisers had roped in veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah and his wife Ratna Pathak, who put up the performance of their play Mughal Bachcha while singer Shubha Mudgal regaled the celebrity guests with her recitals.
Actors, directors and producers contributed generously to the cause through donor passes. “In our own small way, we are trying to change mindsets and bring about change in the lives of the poorer sections of society,” Nadiadwala said.
ANHAD conducts workshops and livelihood generating programmes for women and artisans in rural areas of Kashmir, Orissa and Bihar.
Some of the handicrafts by Bihari women were put up on display at the venue on Saturday.
“The idea is to empower the weaker segments by providing them a platform to showcase their talent while generating revenue and livelihoods,” Hashmi added.
Nadiadwala intends to support the NGO on a long-term basis.
“It is important to sustain efforts such as these on an ongoing basis. Henceforth, we will have paid premieres of films from our production house and the collections will be handed over to ANHAD for its various activities in different fields,” the producer said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}