Celebrities With A Cause

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Being a public figure means having a certain reach. People look up to you, try to do what you do and listen to what you have to say. Having the power to sway people’s hearts, to spur them into action- is one of the things a celebrity can do.
So, here we bring you a shortlist of public figures that did exactly that. A list of celebs with a cause –

Shah Rukh Khan

Last August saw Shah Rukh Khan being presented with an honorary degree in Australia’s La Trobe University in recognition of the work his Meer Foundation did towards women empowerment. Shah Rukh Khan, who founded this organization in 2013, named it after his father Meer Taj Mohammed Khan. Meer Foundation works towards the rehabilitation of acid attack survivors. But that’s not all; King Khan is known for many other philanthropic acts like donating for the treatment of cancer patients and even adopting whole villages. He is also the only Indian to get an award from UNESCO for his charity deeds.

Shabana Azmi

Veteran actress and daughter of renowned poet Kaifi Azmi, Shabana Azmi has been an active social activist for decades now. Even 30 years ago, in 1989, she went on a four day march from Meerut to Delhi for promoting communal harmony. She has also been vocal about issues related to women’s rights and AIDS awareness. She has been, for a long time, associated with Mijwan Welfare Society, an NGO founded by her father. After his death, she continued to work with the foundation in his stead, towards women empowerment and rural development.

Nandita Das

Actress and Director, Nandita Das are known for doing what she believes in and speaking up about social issues both in real life and via her work. Apart from being the face of ‘Dark is Beautiful’ campaign which speaks against colorism, she has also been actively working towards the cause of water conservation. Das has produced and directed several short films and educational videos for children on rainwater harvesting. She is also the co-founder of Leapfrog, an advertising organization that is dedicated to making socially conscious ad-films and not the misleading, marketing-driven content we are so used to seeing.

Aamir Khan

One of the most talented artists in Bollywood, Aamir Khan is also known to be socially conscious. He has been an active supporter of various campaigns like Narmada Bachao Andolan and Jan Lok Pal Bill while also speaking out against Supreme Court’s judgment against homosexuality in 2013. But he is mostly known and respected for hosting the show Satyamev Jayate in 2014 which covered a lot of otherwise ignored social issues and made the general public more aware of them. It was truly an inspiring show and we recommend you to watch it if you haven’t already (which is highly unlikely!).
Aamir Khan has also been an active supporter and worker for women empowerment.

Priyanka Chopra

She is UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador and with good reason too! Former Miss World and internationally acclaimed actress Priyanka Chopra has always been a strong voice advocating women and children’s rights, environmental conservation and the importance of education. As UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador, a role she takes seriously, Priyanka has been a part of numerous campaigns like United Nation’s Girl Up, the Deepshikha Campaign (which has helped over 70,000 girls and young women to take up entrepreneurial skills thus be independent), Awaaz Do digital campaign and Dare to Care- a movement aimed at demanding the improvement of lives of marginalized young women.
She has also been an active supporter of Nanhi Kali and Save Girl Child movements.

Amitabh Bachchan

Officially appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2005, Big B has always been involved in a lot of charity work, but he worked especially hard towards raising awareness for HIV AIDS and Polio. Apart from that, he not only donated a hefty sum towards flood victims in different parts of the country, but also encouraged the general public to contribute to disaster management and relief. He has also helped over 60 farmers’ families in Vizag and the families of martyr soldiers of India.

Akshay Kumar

And how can any list talking about the charitable side of Indian celebrities be complete without Akshay Kumar? Also known as Philanthropist Kumar for his generous actions and strong awareness regarding social issues, Akshay has been always on front line when it comes to supporting those who are in need- whether they are humans or animals. He has donated over a crore for the families of Indian soldiers who were martyred in the Pulwama attacks. He also runs a martial art school where girls are taught for free apart from always urging the general public to step forward in times of need and help each other. One example of this is when various parts of the country were affected by floods last year and he not only extended help for relief in Orissa but also Assam, especially for the evacuation of animals from the Kaziranga National Park, while encouraging others to donate, no matter how little it is. Another example of his philanthropic work is his endeavour to help stunt artists who often work under life-risking situations. In 2017, he launched an insurance scheme for stunt artists.