Twinkle Khanna defended herself and Akshay Kumar after a retired IAS officer accused the family of not doing enough to help people during the pandemic. Twinkle had shared a crowdfunding post on Twitter as part of her association with ANNADA and the Daivik Foundation. According to the post, the funds would go into supplying oxygen concentrators to hospitals in India.
Replying to that, former officer Surya Pratap Singh wrote in Hindi, "Twinkle ji, your husband is among the richest artists in the country. Instead of the drama of asking for funds, it'd be better if your family showed more kindness. This is not the time to ask for help, it is the time to help."
In her family's defence, Twinkle remarked that they'd already donated 100 oxygen concentrators and also helped in other ways. "As I’ve said before,it’s not about me or you but what we can do collectively for those in need.Sad that at this point,instead of pitching in,we expend energy in pulling people down.Stay safe," she added.
Twinkle had shared the news of the donation on Instagram with a statement that read, "Wonderful news-Dr Drashnika Patel & Dr Govind Bankani of London Elite Health through Daivik Foundation are donating 120 oxygen concentrators and as @akshaykumar and I have managed to get our hands on 100 as well, we have a total of 220. Thank you for the leads. Let's all do our bit." In the caption, she mentioned that she'd been in a bit of a hole since members of her family were ill.
"I implore all of you in your own way to do whatever you can so we can look back at this bleak moment and at least say it took the worst but it brought out the best in all of us," she added. In a later post, Twinkle also announced that 5000 nasal cannulas were ready to be shipped to India, along with 250 units of oxygen concentrator machines.
Like Twinkle Khanna, many Bollywood celebrities have been using their platform to amplify fundraisers and pleas for help. Sonu Sood, Alia Bhatt, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, and others are trying to help those in need. Several international celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Shawn Mendes also asked their fans to donate towards India's fight against the second COVID wave.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)