In Conversation with Actress Nargis Fakri on Social Causes and Her Fundraiser on Ketto

Tuesday October 23, 2012 , 3 min Read

We recently wrote about Ketto; the platform for fundraising for social causes that has been started by actor Kunal Kapoor along with entrepreneur Varun Seth. Adding star power to any cause definitely attracts a lot of attention and so is the case with Ketto. Nargis Fakri, the American Fashion Model who made her entrance in Bollywood via Rockstar celebrated her birthday on October 20th and was one of the first to start a fund raiser on Ketto. She celebrated her birthday in New York but we got in touch with her to find out more about her fundraiser which has already raised INR 16,000 of the proposed INR 50,000.

Edited excerpts:

YS: Bollywood contributing towards social causes has been around for long. What made you come on Ketto?

Nargis: Ketto has done some impressive and nobel work and what makes it interesting is that its such an interactive online portal and its honor to be associated with them.

YS: Which are the causes you think need special attention?

Nargis: I’ve always been a strong supporter of issues pertaining to the girl child -Education is another aspect that needs special attention, illiteracy is often at the root of most issues.

YS: Do you think adding the ‘star’ quotient to crowdsourcing funds will help pulling in more people?

Nargis: Well it does help catch eyeballs and you know your cause isn’t falling on deaf ears; also if I as a celebrity can bring a change or make a difference, however small, I say why not? I feel like the luckiest person in the universe to be able to get others to help make a change or a difference. Service is the most gratifying thing ever. And doing a service without expecting returns is just the ultimate feel good thing for me.

YS: There might also be a perception that actors are already rooting for the cause and they can very well fund it themselves. Do you think these kind of deterrents exist?

Nargis: It’s not so much about funding a cause as it is about bringing awareness . The dream is to bring awareness in others and become a role model and help in any way possible. And there is no such thing as too little. Everything counts.

YS: On a different note, how did you celebrate your birthday?

Nargis: Funnily enough, I was stuck on a 11hour flight! Luckily though, I got some time to celebrate and give thanks to everyone knowing I’ve gotten this far and that there is so much more to do and learn and give in my lifetime.

YS: On a personal level, what is your drive and motivation?

Nargis: The fact that we only have this life, this present moment motivates me to push harder- learning and experiencing is what I crave, so that keeps me going.

YS: Who do you look upto in the industry when it comes to social causes?

Nargis: Shabana Azmi. I met her here on a flight and chatted a little and realized what an amazing person she is. Doing her charity work, her own personal work, she juggles so many things but pulls it off. You have to be a special kind of person to be involved with helping others while balancing your other obligations and commitments. It’s not as easy as it seems.

YS: Any message for your fans?