This monsoon, the assaulting flood circumstance in Assam unleashed devastation with more than 90 human lives lost and several creatures executed in the popular Kaziranga National Park. Calling it a "heartbreaking" situation, actor Akshay Kumar was among the first to give Rs 2 crore for the same. The actor gave a crore each towards the Assam Chief Minister's Relief Fund, and for the salvage work in Kaziranga National Park.
"Honestly, jab maine paise diye, I didn't feel good. But I felt really good when I got a call from the Assam Chief Minister (Sarbananda Sonowal), who told me that, 'aapke donation ke baad, bahut saare aur bhi logon ne donation diya.'
That made me happy. I really feel that our nation is an amazing one. If there's ever any problem, you just have to start something and then there's a ripple effect. You know, when I worked on 'Bharat Ke Veer' app, you can't imagine how many people made donations. India is a large-hearted nation. We just need a little push," says the actor.
Recently, an Assamese singer, Bornalee Deuri expressed gratitude toward Akshay on the Kapil Sharma Show for his donation. Says Akshay: "One of the images that really affected me was of a mother holding her baby on her shoulders and wading through the floodwaters. There was no expression of sadness or stress on her face.
And that's a dangerous sign. What all she must have gone through that she forgot all her sorrows. When I come across such photos, I am like, 'it can happen to my wife or my daughter.' Aisi photos bahut choobhtin hai. That's why I did what I did," he says.
Animals' plight, too, has "moved" Akshay. "I also saw some images of animals like rhinoceros, who were drowning, dying and screaming. We should all come together during such times – regardless of whether you can donate Rs 2 or 5 lakhs. That's how a country is made. And humanity is all about that. I admit that God has given me a lot of money, so I give away without thinking twice. Kahaan leke jaane hai paise," he wraps up.
Work-wise, Akshay – whose latest film, Mission Mangal has crossed Rs 100 crore mark In India today – has an envious line-up ahead – Housefull 4, Good News, Sooryavanshi, Laxmmi Bomb and Bachchan Pandey followed by Prithviraj Chauhan.
"See, agar yeh films chal gayi toh [line-up] accha hai. Otherwise, koi kucch nahi kar sakta with any sort of line-up of films. You know, a great man had once said, 'you will keep going up and down, and down and up in life.' So, it's all good, as long as I enjoy the journey," says the actor.
