In Karnataka, a small village sees the light, thanks to Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt’s Mi Wardrobe is Su Wardrobe initiative provides solar lamps to 40 families in Kikkeri village of Mandya district, Karnataka.

For a while after she made her Bollywood debut with Karan Johar’s Student of The Year, Alia Bhatt was in the news for reasons she wouldn’t like to be remembered for: nepotism and her general knowledge. But over time, this young actress proved her mettle as an actor with her performances in Highway, Udta Punjab, and Raazi.

But she’s winning more hearts than ever with her latest initiative - bringing solar lamps to the homes of 40 families in Kikkeri village of Mandya district, Karnataka.

Alia launched her philanthropic initiative Mi Wardrobe is Su Wardrobe earlier this year at the Stylecracker Night Market; this project enables fans to buy handpicked favourites from her personal closet, for charity.

The actor donated the money from her first wardrobe sale to a Bengaluru-based NGO, AROHA, which runs the Liter Of Light programme. For this, AROHA recycles plastic bottles and provides solar lamps to economically backward communities with limited or no access to electricity.

Speaking about the project to the Hindustan Times, Alia said, “So many families in India continue to live in darkness and Liter of Light’s eco-friendly solar lamps are an innovative and sustainable way to light up homes. They work with local communities, using locally sourced materials to assemble and install the lamps, thus empowering the community and improving the quality of life.

The project in Kikkeri will benefit 200 lives and through Mi Wardrobe is Su Wardrobe we plan to work with many such organisations, creating a brighter future for many more.”

The project was supported by Standard Electricals, a brand of Havells India Ltd.

Abhra Banerjee, Vice President Standard Electricals at Havells India, told Mid-Day: “We are extremely happy to support this initiative by Alia Bhatt which delights her fans on one hand, while also making a valuable social impact on the other.”

Zarina Begum, 45, whose hut was among those to be lit up by solar lamps, has never had dinner after 6.30 pm. She told The Times of India: “Now I can have it even after 8 pm. I don't know who Alia Bhatt is, but I definitely want her to come here once and see how she has benefited us. Now, our children can study at home, which they couldn't do all these years.”

This isn’t the first time Alia has attempted to “give back”. In 2013, the actor was part of a PETA campaign to raise awareness about homeless animals. In 2017, she launched CoExist, an ecological initiative to raise awareness about the welfare of street animals. She has also collaborated with Facebook Live for Find Your Green, a campaign for the environment.

Do you have an interesting story to share? Please write to us at [email protected]. To stay updated with more positive news, please connect with us on Facebook and Twitter