Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor paid a surprise visit to a special needs centre in Dubai on Monday to interact with students and staff.
The actor posted images of his visit to the Special Needs Future (SNF) Development Center on his Instagram account, where he met two girls with whom he had interacted with in Dubai nearly 26 years ago.
Kapoor wrote: “In 1991, I took a picture with two young girls in Dubai. Who would’ve known that 26 years later, I’d meet them again! A lot has changed over the years, but a lot hasn’t... They were beautiful then & they’re beautiful now! Taking back this very special moment with me, all thanks to @snfdevcenter [sic].”
Speaking with Gulf News tabloid!, SNF Development Center’s director Safia Bari revealed how the visit came about, saying: “We had no idea Anil Kapoor was planning to come. We were asked about his visit the night before by one of the members of our board [of directors], enquiring whether it would be okay if he paid a visit. It was a pleasant surprise for all of us, especially the students at the centre.”
Bari stated that Kapoor stayed nearly an hour interacting with everyone, cheering the students on as they put on a special dance performance for the Bollywood actor.
“As we have students across different nationalities, not everyone here knows who he is, so we played a short clip for the members and they rehearsed a dance that they knew to welcome our special guest,” Bari revealed.
Sporting his salt-and-pepper look from his upcoming film, Fanney Khan, Kapoor was seen cheering on the students during their performance and visiting them during their classes.
There are current 38 students at the centre, ranging from age 14 years up till 56 years. The director and founder revealed the special needs centre welcomes adult students who are borderline and require added care; these could range from delayed milestones to hearing challenges, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
“Our aim at the centre is to rehabilitate our students into society with well-placed jobs,” she revealed, adding that currently five such students have graduated from the SNF and joined the workforce.
The centre also hosts regular public events, with a fun bazaar currently in the works for November. Details of the event and volunteer registration will be announced shortly, Bari stated.
