R. ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, APRIL 15
Film stars from Kollywood to Tollywood have been loosening their purse strings with big heart for the welfare of the daily wage workers in the cinema industry, as the majority of them became jobless due to the COVID-19 lockdown across the nation.
Superstar Rajinikanth had donated only Rs. 50 lakh as COVID-19 relief fund to the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI). Thala Ajith Kumar donated Rs.25 lakh to FEFSI, Rs. 50 lakh to CMPRF and Rs. 50 lakh to PM-CARES Fund.
Apart from this, celebrities Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Thalapathy Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Pawan Kalyan, Chiranjeevi, Sivakarthikeyan, Parthiban, and others have come out to help the daily wage workers generously. Though many of them gave money for relief, some actors donated rice bags.
As far as the Tamil film Industry is concerned, actor Sivakarthikeyan initiated the process by donating Rs. 10 lakh and it was followed by others.
Meanwhile, a group of 8 transgenders hailing from Pulianthope area in Chennai gathered and protested before the residence of Superstar Rajinikanth in Poes Garden last week and had demanded COVID-19 relief from him. Rajinikanth’s office in Chennai confirmed the incident to navjeevanexpress.com on Wednesday.
After seeing the group outside the residence amid lockdown, Rajinikanth’s family members were shocked. But Rajinikanth’s wife Latha Rajinikanth handed over Rs 5,000 to the transgenders through the gate. After receiving money, the protesters silently dispersed from the spot.
It may be recalled that Rajinikanth had earlier confessed that he would like to play a transgender role on screen, but it is yet to be materialised. However, the actor also danced along with them in his recent film Darbar.
Rajinikanth will next be seen playing the lead role in his upcoming film, Annaatthe, which is being written and helmed by Siva. The film is bankrolled by Kalanithi Maran under the banner Sun Pictures. Annaatthe also stars Meena, Kushboo, Nayanthara, Keerthi Suresh, Prakash Raj, Soori, Sathish and Vela Ramamoorthy in pivotal roles.
