Coronavirus: Indian PM Modi lauds Bollywood stars and more

A galaxy of Bollywood stars and South Indian superstars got a proverbial pat on their backs on April 5 with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauding them for pushing his 9-minute, 9pm candle-light vigil agenda to tackle coronavirus pandemic. Last week, Modi appealed to Indians to turn out their lights for nine minutes at 9pm to show solidarity amid the coronavirus lockdown with a show of lamps, candles and flashlights. But he isn’t alone in this overt display of solidarity battle. Stars have lit up his cause with admirable intensity.

An army of Bollywood talents and South Indian idols — who have stoically maintained a dignified silence during protests against the controversial Citizenship Ammemdment Act — seem to have found their voice for this cause. Expressing solidarity with Modi, these stars with huge fan followings urged their followers to follow Modi’s directive. An unlikely candidate, Malayalam star Mammootty, also came forward to support Modi, while his equally popular colleague Mohanlal took to Facebook to urge his fans to light candles at 9pm tonight. Here’s a list of stars from Bollywood and rest of India who lit up for Modi’s cause today...

Karan Johar: From taking selfies with Narendra Modi to pushing Modi’s agenda, Karan Johar seems to have become a popular cheerleader for the Indian leader’s vision. He tweeted: “Following the vision of our Honourable Prime Minister @NarendraModi ... I hope it’s lights off for everyone tonight at 9pm for 9 minutes. Let the light of a candle ... a diya ... your cell phone light bring the light back into our lives! Stay Safe.” Upon him tweeted, Modi tweeted: “Thank you for your support.”

Anil Kapoor: As Kapoor urged his fans to unite and “let the light of hope & positivity spread far and wide,” Modi responded with a tweet saying: “Stay Home, spread brightness and further the spirit of unity.”

Mammootty: The South Indian matinee idol, who is massively popular in Kerala, urged his fans to be a part of this united movement of lighting lamps as a mark of unity and brotherhood. He requested all his fans to take part in the 9pm, 9-minute vigil. Modi gave him a nod with the tweet: “Thank you @Mammukka. A heartfelt call for unity and brotherhood like yours is what our nation needs in the fight against Covid-19.”

Dabboo Ratnani: “Buddha, once said, that if you light a candle for someone else it willalso brighten our life. We need to fight together and show our support. Please stand in your balcony at 9pm for nine minutes with a candle on April 5. We need to show our support to our fellow people. Stay home, stay safe India,” tweeted ace photographer Ratnani. Modi tweeted: “Excellent message to all Indians. Light a lamp, brighten everyone’s path.”

Ram Charan: The Telugu superstar requested his fans to abide by the lockdown and to stand united to defeat COVID-19. “I am proud of everyone who has faithfully been abiding by the lockdown! My love to you all. With the same spirit, let’s light up lamps and come together to spread awareness for 9 minutes at 9pm this Sunday.”

Shekhar Kapur: Director Kapur made his plans for the night clear. “I don’t know about anybody else, but I am definitely going to light a diya [candle] on Sunday at 9pm for nine minutes. To stand in solidarity with the people of India, to honour our PM, to pray for courage and fortitude in this time. As we do on Diwali to guide truth into our hearts.” To his tweet, Modi re-iterated that “India is united in defeating Covid-19 and that this unity will be manifested soon.”