COVID fundraiser ‘We For India’ to feature Ed Sheeran, Mick Jagger, AR Rahman, over 100 other artistes

By IANS

MUMBAI: Some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Ed Sheeran, Mick Jagger and A.R. Rahman, among many other personalities, are coming together for a global fundraiser on Facebook on Independence Day. It is expected to unlock philanthropic donations upwards of Rs 25 crore for Covid-19 relief work.

Reliance Entertainment, the leading media and entertainment company, is producing the event, ‘We For India’, in partnership with The World We Want (WWW), a purpose-driven enterprise, and supported by GiveIndia, India’s largest and most trusted giving platform. The exclusive streaming partner for this fundraiser is Facebook India.

‘We For India: Saving Lives, Protecting Livelihoods’ will be livestreamed on August 15 at 7.30 PM IST to raise funds for Covid-19 relief missions of GiveIndia.

The celebrity participants will express solidarity and support for saving lives and livelihoods in India after the devastation caused by the second wave of the pandemic. All proceeds from the mega event will be utilised by GiveIndia to provide both humanitarian aid and strengthen healthcare infrastructure.

Namit Sharma, Creative Producer, Reliance Entertainment, said: “The last 18 months have been transformational and have taught us the importance of giving back. Indian society is at a critical juncture where millions are economically displaced due to loss of jobs or loved ones. While future waves may bring other challenges, the job at hand is to help our fellow Indians as much as we can now.

“Our effort in putting together this fundraiser, working closely with multiple partners and talent from across the globe has taught us one thing — the world is one, and there is no dearth of goodness and kindness.”

Sharma added: “Personally, I’m grateful to the team that came together to put together ‘We for India’. We hope the audience will love the show and also open their hearts in helping fellow Indians.”

This three-hour videothon will feature more than 100 artistes, including leading Bollywood filmmakers Rajkumar Hirani, Karan Johar, Imtiaz Ali, Farah Khan, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vikram Bhatt and Ribhu Dasgupta.

International stars and music sensations will also be featuring in the show, such as Ed Sheeran, Annie Lennox alongside her daughter, Lola Lennox, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, actress Ini Dima-Okojie, superstar and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Nancy Ajram, co-founder of CHIC Nile Rodgers, music group Sister Sledge ft Sledgendary, among others. Inspiring messages will also be shared by storyteller Jay Shetty and television star Dina Shihabi.

Several interesting interactions will also be seen with stars such as Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Akkineni Nagarjuna, R. Madhavan, Farhan Akhtar, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Pratik Gandhi. The show will be hosted by the dapper Rajkummar Rao.

Sweta Agnihotri, CEO – Content and Syndication, Reliance Entertainment, said: “Unity, empathy and community are the ideals we strive for at Reliance Entertainment, and we believe in their power to be a force of good. Case numbers may have subsided for now, but they do not truly reflect the on-ground reality.

“After almost a year and a half of the pandemic and after two waves, there has been a long-term health and economic fallout for families. That is why we believe in ‘We For India’, standing in solidarity with the people of India, and together aiming to raise much needed funds,” Agnihotri added.

Veteran writer Javed Akhtar, dance maestros Prabhudeva and Remo D’Souza, music world’s superstars A.R. Rahman, Shankar Mahadevan, Usha Uthup, Pandit Bikram Ghosh, Mithoon, Amit Trivedi, Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, Salim Merchant and Sulaiman Merchant, Swanand Kirkire, Shantanu Moitra, Kanika Kapoor, Lisa Mishra and sporting superstar Mahesh Bhupati will also be seen participating in some of the most endearing and enthralling performances.

The show will also feature medical professionals who will share their experiences and urgent requirements to keep India safe.

Further amplifying the glamour quotient will be diva queens such as Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh, Malaika Arora, Dia Mirza, Kalki Koechlin, Sanya Malhotra, Ananya Panday and Alaya F.

Proceeds from the event will be utilised to provide critical-care facilities such as oxygen concentrators, cylinders, ventilators, and essential medicines as well as ICU units.

Funds will also go towards supporting the staffing of vaccination centres. Funds will also be mobilised to support long-term public recovery and rebuild livelihoods such as those thrust into poverty due to a decline in earnings and complete loss of income.

Humanitarian efforts in the form of meal and ration kits will be provided to the rural and urban families hit financially by the pandemic. Cash relief will be provided to families who have lost an immediate member.

Industrywide support for producing the fundraiser was provided by Amar Ujala, Artist Original, Bling Entertainment, CAA Foundation, Collective Artists Network, D’Artist Talent Ventures, Dharma Cornerstone Agency, Eros International, Exceed, Matrix, Merchant Records, Mukta Arts and Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Saregama, Shemaroo Entertainment, Sony Music, Tips International, T-Series, Universal Music Group, UTV Music, UTV Software Communication, Warner Music, YRF Talent and Zee Music Company.

The list of artistes/celebrities participating in the ‘We for India’ concert: A.R. Rahman, Adah Sharma, Aditi Rao Hydari, Ajay Devgn, Ajit Mohan, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Alaya F, Amit Mishra, Amit Tandon, Ananya Panday, Ankur Tewari, Annie Lennox, Arjun Kapoor, Arjun Mathur, Atul Satija, Bickram Ghosh, Dia Mirza, Dina Shihabi, Divyenndu Sharma, Dr Ankesh Sahetya, Dr Himanshu Mehta, Dr Sanjay Arora, Dr Tanu Singhal, Ed Sheeran, Farah Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Guru Randhawa, Harmeet Singh, Harrdy Sandhu, Hrishitaa Bhatt, Imtiaz Ali, Ini Dima-Okojie, Jaaved Jaaferi, Javed Akhtar, Jay Shetty, Jeeveshu Ahluwalia, Johnny Lever, Kabir Khan, Kalki Koechlin, Kanika Kapoor, Karan Johar, Karan Wahi, Kirti Kulhari, Lisa Mishra, Lola Lennox, Mahesh Bhupathi, Malaika Arora, Manish Malhotra, Manjari Fadnnis, Manmeet Singh, Meezaan, Mick Jagger, Mira Kapoor, Mithoon, Nakuul Mehta, Nancy Ajram, Natasha Mudhar, Nikhita Gandhi, Nile Rodgers, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Parampara Tandon, Parineeti Chopra, Prabhudeva, Pragya Jaiswal, Prakriti Kakar, Pratik Gandhi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Purab Kohli, R. Madhavan, Rahul Bose, Rajkumar Hirani, Rajkummar Rao, Rakul Preet Singh, Rannvijay Singha, Remo D’Souza, Ribhu Dasgupta, Rohit Saraf, Sachet Tandon, Saif Ali Khan, Salim Merchant, Sanjana Sanghi, Sanya Malhotra, Sapan Verma, Saqib Saleem, Sara Ali Khan, Shankar Mahadevan, Shantanu Moitra, Sharad Kelkar, Shekhar Ravjiani, Shibasish Sarkar, Shilpa Rao, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Shreyas Talpade, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Siddhanth Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Sister Sledge ft Sledgendary, Sonakshi Sinha, Sonu Sood, Steven Spielberg, Sukriti Kakar, Sulaiman Merchant, Swanand Kirkire, Tanya Maniktala, Tisca Chopra, Tusshar Kapoor, Usha Uthup, Varun Sharma, Vidya Balan, Vikram Bhatt, Vikramaditya Motwane and Vishal Dadlani.

Natasha Mudhar, founder of ‘The World We Want’, said: “We believe in the power that lies in global solidarity when everyone, everywhere comes together in a collective effort to create change. Leveraging the power of popular culture, we hope ‘We For India’ will entertain and inspire action, encouraging the global population to act now to raise vital funds to not only save lives but to restore, rebuild, and renew lives devastated by the crisis.

“This is one of the largest coordinated efforts to raise support to address the impact of the pandemic. Together, we can prevent this health crisis from having a lasting impact. ‘We For India’ is a clarion call that we are all with India – side by side.”

Atul Satija, CEO of GiveIndia, said: “We all know that the pandemic and the suffering it has caused is far from over. ‘We For India’ is a great, timely initiative to remind us of the need to continue to provide humanitarian aid and strengthen our health infrastructure. During the peak of the second wave we at GiveIndia saw that compassion is not exclusive to any one class or community.”

He added: “People from all walks of life chipped in to help – if not with money, with their time as volunteers. So, when our heroes in the world of entertainment lead the giving, it is sure to inspire our collective altruism once again.”

Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India, said, “Millions of people have been impacted by the pandemic and our mission of building communities and bringing people together is even more relevant today than ever before.

“It is truly inspiring to see celebrities and artists from across the globe come together for this noble cause; and as part of our Social for Good initiative we are happy to partner with ‘We for India’ to help provide relief to urban and rural communities impacted by Covid-19. Together, we will make a difference,” Chopra concluded.