Big B plays good Samaritan

When Bachchan heard about the plight of the girls, he announced that he will bear the cost of their education (TOI Photo) PATNA: Big B is a man with a big heart. In the seventies and eighties, the Angry Young Man fought for the poor and downtrodden in films like "Deewar", "Laawaris" and "Amar, Akbar Anthony". Now, the aging Superstar of Bollywood is playing the role of a good Samaritan in real life. Moved by the plight of Rimjhim and Anjali, the two little girls whose parents left them in a school in Patna and "escaped", Big B has reportedly decided to bear the cost of their education. The girls' father Ashok Pandey is a petty businessman. He was facing some charges and was jailed in 1984. By the time he came out of jail, his business had collapsed and he, along with his family, was literally on the streets. Unable to take care of his girls, Ashok and his wife Shikha came to Patna and enrolled the girls at Shanti Niketan, a residential school on Jagat Narayan Road in Patna. Ashok is a native of Muzaffarpur. When the girls' parents did not turn up to deposit fees at the school, the school management started searching for them. After months of search, they were finally contacted. Shikha arrived at the school on Thursday to meet her daughters. She said they were living in abject poverty, so they had decided to "abandon" their children. When Bachchan heard about the plight of the girls, he announced that he will bear the cost of their education. Despite repeated attempts, megastar Amitabh Bachchan could not be contacted. The staff at his Mumbai office told TOI over phone, "Amitji is not present at his residence." Bachchan's close friend and Samajwadi Party MP Amar Singh was also not available for his comments. Singh's Delhi office staff told TOI over phone on Friday evening that he is out of station. Singh, however, told an electronic media channel early on Friday that Bachchan will bear the cost of the girls' education.

================================

Hi All,
This news was published in Times of India a few days back.
It made me to think that, why the news media is publishing this kind of information.
Is it a big deal for Big B bear the cost of two girls education, when he is so rich??
Apart from this, how many of us do these kinds of charity or social service?
Many of us do ... but why there is no publicity about us or anybody who does these kind of work.

It is such a shame that people are making big deal about it.
And we should be happy that atleast he is doing something for the country now!!

~Punitha

I agree 100% with you, Punitha!
Maybe it must be for the love of publicity and wanted to be always in the news, so that people don't forget them!

sriniketan

For that matter we have so many unsung heroes/heroines around us. How many of them get recognised???

Its always the celebrities who take the cake and get lot of publicity...but honestly who bothers to follow-up whether they have actually done a good deed or is it just a publicity stunt.

Phir filmy duniya mein aise log kyun hai jinko apne aakhri dino mein ek waqt ke khane ke liye bhi mohtaj hain. Why aren't these guys doing anything for their own fraternity.

Roopa.

Hi Srini,
Thanks for your FB.

~Punitha

Originally Posted by Sriniketan

I agree 100% with you, Punitha!
Maybe it must be for the love of publicity and wanted to be always in the news, so that people don't forget them!

sriniketan

Hello Roopa,

What ever you said is very much true.

Thanks,
Punitha

Originally Posted by roopadadia

For that matter we have so many unsung heroes/heroines around us. How many of them get recognised???

Its always the celebrities who take the cake and get lot of publicity...but honestly who bothers to follow-up whether they have actually done a good deed or is it just a publicity stunt.

Phir filmy duniya mein aise log kyun hai jinko apne aakhri dino mein ek waqt ke khane ke liye bhi mohtaj hain. Why aren't these guys doing anything for their own fraternity.

Roopa.