Bollywood’s fascination with the men in uniform is undeniably interesting. Several Bollywood movies have been inspired by the police. Many well-known actors have been seen in the avatar at some point in their career, creating a strong bond between cops and Tinseltown.
Since the lockdown was put in place in March, we have seen how the police have played an important role in the frontline. They have been on duty, day in and day out, protecting citizens and ensuring discipline is maintained. On the other hand, we also witnessed how some of the Bollywood stars themselves extended a helping hand to those having to bear the brunt of this pandemic.
Sonu Sood
Actor Sonu Sood was one of the main celebs who caught the nation’s attention when he went out of his way to provide free transportation to the migrants who were left high and dry due to the pandemic. Sood, who has truly emerged as a real-life hero, also donated 25,000 face shields to Maharashtra Police.
The Home Minister of Maharashtra, Anil Deshmukh, took to Twitter to share the news and thanked Sonu for his gesture. “I thank @SonuSood Ji for your generous contribution of giving 25,000 #FaceShields for our police personnel.”
Sonu replied, “Truly honoured by your kind words Sir! My police brothers & sisters are our real heroes & this is the least that I can do for the commendable work which they have been doing. Jai Hind #OurRealHeroes @DGPMaharashtra.”
Sonu Sood wants to pen down his experiences about this pandemic and lockdown. His debut book, still untitled, will reveal the emotional and often challenging journey the actor undertook along with the people he helped. It will be released later this year, announced publishing house, Penguin Random House India.
“I want to thank God for making me a catalyst in helping the migrants. While my heart beats in Mumbai, after this movement I feel a part of me lives in the villages of UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Uttarakhand and various other States where I have now found new friends and made deep connections. I have decided to put these experiences and stories that are embedded in my soul forever, in a book … I’m excited, nervous and overwhelmed, and I can’t wait to connect with you through my book. I look forward to your support—and love you all,” Sood said in a statement.
Rohit Shetty
Director and actor, Rohit Shetty, who has always been an avid supporter of the police, had stepped forward and facilitated 11 hotels across Mumbai for police officers who have been working round the clock fighting the deadly virus.
Mumbai Police Commissioner, ParamBir Singh, said that Rohit Shetty has been a source of continued support for the men and women in khaki ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. While extending a thank you note to the Action Director, Mumbai Police said that Shetty facilitated 11 hotels with unlimited occupancy for on-duty personnel.
The official twitter account of Mumbai Police tweeted,“#RohitShetty has facilitated 11 hotels across the city for our onduty#CovidWarriors to rest, shower & change with arrangements for breakfast and dinner. We thank him for this kind gesture and for helping us in#TakingOnCorona and keeping Mumbai safe.
”Meanwhile, Rohit is also helping celebrity photographers who have been out of work amidst the ongoing lockdown. Reports said the filmmaker made direct cash transfers to the photographers’ accounts. Before this, Rohit reportedly made a contribution of Rs 51 Lakh to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees(FWICE), to support daily wage earners who have been left jobless due to the lockdown.
Earlier in 2019, Rohit Shetty had donated Rs 51 Lakh to the Mumbai Police Foundation from the profits of his box-office blockbuster Simmba. Along with AkshayKumar, Ranveer Singh and Ajay Devgn, Rohit handed over the cheque on behalf of his productionhouse – Rohit Shetty Picturez, to the Commissioner of Police.
Akshay Kumar
The Bollywood Khiladi was in the limelight when he became the first celebrity to donate Rs 25 Crore to the PM-CARES Fund to fight the coronavirus pandemic . The Sooryavanshi actor who took on the police avatar in the said film had also stepped up and donated Rs 2 Crore to the Mumbai Police Foundation.
The actor made his contribution, keeping in mind the recent demise of Mumbai Police Head Constables- Chandrakant Pendurkar and Sandip Surve – who along with their colleagues across the city, were working relentlessly to maintain law and order in the ongoing battle against COVID-19.
Mumbai Police tweeted, “Mumbai Police thanks @akshaykumar for contributing Rs 2 Crore to the Mumbai Police Foundation. Your contribution will go a long way in safeguarding the lives of those who are committed to safeguarding the city- the men and women of Mumbai Police!#MumbaiPoliceFoundation.”Reacting to their tweet, Akshay said, “I salute @MumbaiPolice head constables Chandrakant Pendurkar & Sandip Surve, who laid their lives fighting Corona. I have done my duty, I hope you will too. Let’s not forget we are safe and alive because of them.”
Earlier, in the month of April, the Mission Mangal actor had donated Rs 3 Crore to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the manufacture of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), masks and rapid testing kits. On the work front, Akshay Kumar will be seen playing a tough cop in Sooryavanshi, which is Director Rohit Shetty’s film on cop-drama universe.
Citizen Talk
“It’s a form of reciprocation. Actors make these friendly gestures towards politicians and cops to stay in their good books. They are not promotional strategies, but a way of keeping healthy ties and aiding social causes,”
Santosh Mishra
Journalist
“It is a most welcome gesture from the Bollywood fraternity for raising funds and helping our cops to fight the virus more effectively. Our men in uniform – be it a doctor or policeman – have been working 24×7 for our safety. I salute them and appeal to our citizens to support them by obeying the rules laid by them.”
Lohit Suvarna RBL employee
Mohit Naik
