1. Watch: Shah Rukh Khan’s Message For ‘One World: Together At Home’
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the entire world to a stand-still. With countries struggling to get the spread of the deadly virus under control, everyone is trying to do their bit to contribute and help. This morning (April 19) the One World: Together At Home concert kicked off, with a number of artists coming together to raise funds for the World Health Organisation (WHO). Amongst the stars was the ‘Baadshah’ of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, who shared a beautiful message for fans watching.
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2. Javed Akhtar Calls For Unity: ‘Have Faith In One Another’
In a video shared by veteran actor Shabana Azmi on Twitter, writer Javed Akhtar urges people to stay united and stand together in the time of crisis. Reflecting on the growing communal violence in the country Akhtar says that we need to stop suspecting each other and try to understand each other’s intentions. Only then can we fight this crisis called coronavirus. Javed Akhtar has always been vocal about his thoughts on the ongoing political situation in the country. He never holds back from sharing his point of view and this time in this 2 minute long video he opened up on violence against health workers, on self-appointed vigilantes and more.
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3. Artistes Release “Statement Against Witch-Hunt of Activists”
Prominent members of the film industry, well known stand-up comics and other activists wrote a statement and put it out on social media to highlight what they call is a “witch-hunt” against protesters who stood against the CAA-NRC-NPR. They issued the letter on Sunday, signed by 29 artistes, saying “Protesting Against the CAA is not a Crime”.
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4. Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar & Others Recite Poems
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of millions across the world. As people struggle to not fall into despair as they’re locked up inside their homes for over a month now, celebrities are coming together to make the fight easier. Anhad, a voluntary organisation that “works for questions of democracy, constitutional values, diversity and gender rights” has put up a Music and Poetry series, and a number of notable names came forward to be a part of it to help people cope with the quarantine and social distancing. Amongst the performers were Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah who did an excellent recital of Vikram Seth’s The Elephant & The Tragopan.
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5. Ajaz Khan Arrested For Alleged ‘Communal’ Remarks on Facebook
Actor Ajaz Khan has made the headlines again. This time, while the rest of the world is sitting at home fighting the the pandemic, the actor has gotten into trouble for an allegedly “communal” comment. He was arrested by Mumbai police station on 18 April. According to reports, this comes after he made a controversial statement in a Facebook Live interaction recently.
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