10 Bollywood celebrities with social causes

Ours is a country that lives on movies. Bollywood actors today have the entire country following their every move closely. With that kind of fan following and power, comes great responsibility too. Let’s talk about some celebrities in the Bollywood brigade who have embraced social causes.

Shabana Azmi

Not only is she the master of her craft, she’s closely associated with social causes as well. Her main area of activism is children and women’s rights apart from fighting the stigma and injustice associated with AIDS.

In the recent years, she has been associated with the Mijwan Welfare Society (MWS), an NGO founded by her father, the famous poet, late Kaifi Azmi. After his demise, she decided to take forward his dream.

My father believed that India’s remarkable economic progress can only be meaningful if it reaches out to rural India, where 80 percent of the population lives but is denied access to opportunity

,Shabana has reportedly said. MWS runs many institutes – Kaifi Azmi High School for girls, Kaifi Azmi Inter College for girls, Kaifi Azmi Computer Training Center and Kaifi Azmi Sewing and Tailoring Center.

Rahul Bose

Rahul Bose is many things – an actor, a sportsman, and a committed social activist. He became the first Indian Oxfam global ambassador in 2007. He was actively involved in the relief efforts in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands after the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Soon after, he launched the Andaman and Nicobar Scholarship Initiative through his NGO, The Foundation, a scholarship program dedicated to the education of underprivileged children from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He is also associated with several charitable organizations such as Teach for India, Akshara Centre, Breakthrough, Citizens for Justice and Peace and the Spastics Society of India.

Aamir Khan

Perfection thy name is Aamir Khan. He’s set an example with how to use a fan base and create awareness and awakening. There has been a ripple effect after he started hosting India’s first talk show on social issues, ‘Satyamev Jayate’.

He has raised voice in support of various campaigns and protests, including Narmada Bachao Andolan, Jan Lok Pal Bill and the Supreme Court judgement against homosexuality. Even his professional choices in the recent years reflect on his consciousness about social issues.

Nandita Das

An actor par excellence and an even better human being, Nandita leads by example. She has always been associated with social causes and is often seen voicing her opinion against any kind of injustice. She was also the face of the campaign ‘Dark is Beautiful’, aimed at the tyrants who think that fair is better.

Gul Panag

Gul Panag knows what she wants and knows how to get it — a better India. Part of the Aam Aadmi Party, she works with the Shamsher Singh Foundation and Gul 4 Change and is working to form an umbrella of solutions to all the social issues we face today. More power to her!

Nafisa Ali

Nafisa Ali is a star by every right — an actress, a former Miss India, a national swimming champ and a social activist. She is actively involved with the welfare of the underprivileged — health, women and child rights, poverty and social development. She has a care home named ‘Ashraya’ for those affected by HIV/AIDS.

Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone underwent depression last year. She chose to talk about it publicly and spoke at length in an in depth interview with a television channel. Her foundation, ‘The Live Love Laugh Foundation’, is in the process of being setup. The foundation aims to spread awareness about mental health and offer help to those who are affected.

Kalki Koechlin

Actress Kalki Koechlin and VJ Juhi Pandey’s video, ‘It’s Your Fault’, was a satirical video that went viral soon after it was released online. It was a fitting reply to those who made insensitive comments about abuse on women. Kalki used her acting prowess yet again at the India Conclave summit to perform a solo act highlighting women abuse.

Milind Soman

The dapper model, actor and producer is the man behind Pinkathon. Pinkathon is essentially a 10 km marathon, exclusively for women. The aim is to promote fitness in women and create awareness about breast cancer.

Dia Mirza

The angelic beauty is an angel at heart too. She is actively involved with the Andhra Pradesh Government to help raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and female foeticide.