Global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas and her singer husband Nick Jonas have thrown their collective celebrity and clout behind a fund-raiser for India, crippled by a ferocious second wave of COVID-19.
On April 29th evening, the star-couple posted videos appealing to citizens globally to help India survive the pandemic. The fund-raiser is in collaboration with GiveIndia, one of India’s largest organisations providing COVID-19 relief.
According to the latest reports, the total number of Covid cases passed 18 million on April 29 with 386,452 infections recorded - the biggest one-day increase on record for any country. More than 390 deaths were recorded in Delhi.
“Why do we need to care? Why is it so urgent right now? I am sitting in London and hearing from my friends and family in India about how hospitals are at capacity, there are no rooms in ICUs, ambulances are too busy, oxygen supply is less, crematoriums having mass cremations because the volume of death is so much. India is my home and India is bleeding,” said Chopra Jonas in the video.
The actress, who’s also a UN Goodwill ambassador, urged her army of followers to be humane and donate towards India. The funds raised will go towards improving healthcare in India and providing oxygen cylinders which are in scarce supply.
“Please please donate. Nick and I already have and will continue to contribute. We have all seen how far and wide this virus can spread, an ocean between us makes no difference. No one is safe unless everyone is safe. It’s so heartening to see so many people stepping up to help in so many ways. We need to beat this virus, and to do that requires ALL of us. From the bottom of my heart THANK You,” she wrote.
The Quantico star also reminded everyone that unless everyone is safe, no one is safe.
“We, as a global community, need to care. And I’ll tell you why we need to care – because unless everyone is safe, no one is safe. So, please use your resources and focus your energy on helping stop this pandemic. Please donate. I understand a lot of people must be angry and thinking about, ‘Why are we in this place in the first place? Why is this happening?’ We will address that but after we stop the urgency. Please donate and please use your resources as much as you can. India needs you,” said Chopra Jonas.
Her husband Jonas also recorded a plea to help India.
“The magnitude is staggering. So much is needed right now to stop the spread of this dreaded disease,” he said in the video.
Chopra Jonas is in London filming for a new project, but she has consistently spoken about the urgency of providing vaccines in India and even appeal to the US President Jo Biden to help with vaccines in India.
Over the last few weeks, the former Miss World has also been urging her fans to write to world leaders to make a difference and posting inspiring messages about fighting the pandemic together.
Other than Chopra Jonas, actors in Bollywood including Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Sonu Sood, and Suniel Shetty have stepped forward to help their country survive the pandemic.
In May 2020, Bollywood heavyweights including Karan Johar, director Zoya Akhtar, and Shah Rukh Khan had joined hands to raise funds through a virtual concert entitled ‘I For India’.
