Suriya, Dhanush and Siddharth Focus on Rehab of Flood-Hit in TN

Tamil stars Suriya, Dhanush and Siddharth now focus on rehabilitating victims of the Tamil Nadu floods

Tamil actors Suriya and Dhanush

As Chennai crawls back to normalcy after unprecedented rains that shattered the city last week, there are still many neighbourhoods where people have lost their homes and livelihood completely. Tamil film stars who were instrumental in aiding the relief operations in both Chennai and Cuddalore have now shifted their focus to the rehabilitation of flood victims by adopting specific plans to get the disadvantaged families back on track.

Popular radio jockey RJ Balaji and actor Siddharth, who led from the front after the record deluge hit Chennai, have joined forces with specialized NGOs to successfully rehabilitate the flood-ravaged families.

We feel it is essential that the momentum of our initiative has to be taken to the next level and there is a need to partner with NGOs who specialize in rehabilitation work. After closely watching their work and a detailed review of their previous track record, we are happy to inform that we are partnering with the Bhoomika Trust for Chennai and AID INDIA for Cuddalore district. These two NGOs will work with our core team to achieve our goal of rehabilitating flood victims in these regions through various projects. A detailed plan to this effect will be shared with you all shortly. Our call to monetary contributions has received a heartening response and we thank you for your generosity.

<b>RJ Balaji and Siddharth’s official statement</b>

Dhanush, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Thanga Magan on December 18th, has been arranging special medical camps in affected areas to prevent the widespread threat of water-borne diseases.

Suriya has announced that his ‘Agaram Foundation’ will support the academic needs of students in Classes 10 and 12 in government schools in the flood-affected areas in Chennai, Cuddalore, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. ‘Agaram’ is also working simultaneously on multiple rehabilitation projects apart from offering unstinting financial support to the needy students.

Agaram Foundation has decided to adopt the villages of Nelvai, Kachur and Keragambakkam in Tiruvallur district. They are home to Irula families who have been badly affected by the floods. The residents have no identity cards and are not eligible to receive any official aid. The children don’t go to school and they are malnourished

<b>Suriya</b>

Mani Ratnam and Suhasini Ratnam have adopted Suriya Nagar in Kotturpuram for rehabilitation. They are aiding the relief measures in the locality through their ‘Naam Foundation’. “We distributed relief kits to thousands of families in Suriya Nagar as part of the initial phase of rehabilitation. We will organize medical camps and counseling sessions very soon,” reads a statement from the couple.

(Karthik Kumar is an independent film critic and journalist. He actively follows and writes on popular South Indian cinema and covers independent films too.)