You Won’t Be Hearing About Shah Rukh Khan’s Donation to Any Relief Fund for Coronavirus Affected Citizens – Here’s Why
Ever since Akshay Kumar tweeted about his donation, some Twitter users have been trolling Shah Rukh Khan and asking him what's he doing.
Akshay Kumar won our hearts yesterday, when he pledged Rs 25 crore to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'PM Cares' cause for the welfare of people affected by Coronavirus pandemic in India. Even stars like Varun Dhawan have also pledged to the cause, and we really need to appreciate that. In the past, South stars like Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Allu Arjun, Rajinikanth etc have donated generously to both CM and PM's relief fund. However, ever since Akshay Kumar tweeted about his donation, some Twitter users have been trolling Shah Rukh Khan and asking him what's he doing. Akshay Kumar Pledges to Donate Rs 25 Crore to PM Narendra Modi's PM-Cares Fund for COVID-19 Relief.
Which is kind of a pointless exercise really. Knowing Shah Rukh Khan for all these years, you won't expect him to be vocal about whether he donated any kind of amount on social media. For Shah Rukh Khan has been very adamant in the past that he will not be talking about his charity work in the public.
In the below old interview, SRK talks about how being a little Islamic, he believes that if an individual he is doing a good deed, then it is no longer a good deed. Which is why he doesn't speak about his charity work.
Here's another video, taken during one of the media interactions while promoting Happy New Year, where SRK talks about how he feels that his charity work is more personal and private, so it is not right for him to talk about it.
So if Shah Rukh Khan is not talking about his charity, then how will his fans know what he is doing for the good of the country?
Valid question. SRK may be silent, but occasionally, his charity work does come out in the open, even if the Bollywood superstar isn't vocal about it.
Like during the terrible floods that happened in Kerala in 2019, it was acclaimed sound editor Resul Pookutty who tweeted about SRK's contribution to the relief fund. Shah Rukh Khan's Big Heart Comes to Play as Oscar-Winner Resul Pookutty Thanks Him For His Generosity Towards Kerala Floods Victims.
Similarly, you might have heard of Meer Foundation, a Mumbai-based NGO affiliated with SRK, which is known for rehabilitation of burn and acid attack survivors, as well as women empowerment. For its work, Shah Rukh Khan had received World Economic Forum's Crystal Award in 2018 for his work in championing women's and children's rights in India. Similarly, in 2011, he was awarded UNESCO's Pyramide con Marni award for his charity work, the first Indian to get this award.
Many of the doctorates that he has been getting is for his social work, like the honorary doctorate in Philanthropy by The University of Law, London in 2019. While receiving the award, SRK gave out this statement, "I believe that charity should be done in silence and with dignity. One cannot speak about their charitable acts because it loses its purpose. I have been privileged to be able to use my status as a public personality to champion causes close to my heart."
So while you (rightly) appreciate Akshay Kumar, Varun Dhawan and Salman Khan for helping out in these difficult times, let's not troll those who have not been vocal about what they are doing. For their silence doesn't really mean that they are doing nothing.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 29, 2020 02:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).