Ed Sheeran, Annie Lennox, A.R. Rahman Join Top Bollywood Stars for Indian Post-COVID Relief Fundraiser (EXCLUSIVE)

Musicians Ed Sheeran, Annie Lennox, A.R. Rahman and Mick Jagger are joining Steven Spielberg and a galaxy of Bollywood stars in supporting the We For India fundraiser for post-COVID relief relief work in India.

Celebrities lending their name to the initiative include music group Sister Sledge ft. Sledgendary, Grammy-winning composer Nile Rodgers, Lebanese singer and UNICEF goodwill ambassador Nancy Ajram, actor Ini Dima-Okojie, storyteller Jay Shetty and Bollywood personalities including Ajay Devgn, Vidya Balan, Karan Johar, Farhan Akhtar and Saif Ali Khan.

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The event aims to raise more than $3.5 million for GiveIndia, India’s largest donation platform. The proceeds will be used to provide oxygen concentrators, cylinders, ventilators, and essential medicines as well as ICU units. Funds will also go towards supporting the staffing of vaccination centers and to rebuild the livelihoods of those thrust into poverty due complete loss of income because of the pandemic. Meal and ration kits will be provided to families hit financially by the pandemic. Cash relief will be provided to families who have lost an immediate member to COVID-19.

The event will be hosted by “The White Tiger” star Rajkummar Rao and will feature video messages of support from the stars, stand-up comedy and musical performances, including by Lola Lennox and Sister Sledge ft. Sledgendary who will perform a medley of their hits, interactions with frontline heroes, immersive fitness challenges and games.

We For India is conceptualized by The World We Want, a global social impact enterprise launched to accelerate action and progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The organization is a pioneer of major creative campaigns and multi-sector collaborations to leverage public and private sector impact.

“The world has been stunned by stories of families torn apart by the loss of loved ones and businesses forced to close, plunging thousands into poverty,” said Natasha Mudhar, founder of The World We Want. “We believe in the power that lies in global solidarity when everyone, everywhere comes together in a collective effort to create change. Leveraging the power of popular culture, we hope We For India will entertain and inspire action, encouraging the global population to act now to raise vital funds to not only save lives but to restore, rebuild, and renew lives devastated by the crisis.”

The World We Want

“This is one of the largest coordinated efforts to raise support to address the impact of the pandemic,” Mudhar said. “Together, we can prevent this health crisis from having a lasting impact, including extreme poverty and hunger. We For India is a clarion call that we are all with India – side by side.”

The fundraiser is co-produced by Reliance Entertainment, the media and entertainment arm of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.

Sweta Agnihotri, CEO, content and syndication, Reliance Entertainment, said: “While case numbers may have subsided for now, they do not truly reflect the on-ground reality. After almost a year and a half of the pandemic and after two waves, there has been a long-term health and economic fallout for families. That is why we believe in We For India, standing in solidarity with the people of India, and together aiming to raise much needed funds.”

The three-hour virtual fundraiser will be livestreamed on Facebook on Aug. 15, India’s Independence Day, at 7:30pm IST/3pm BST/10am EDT.

Manish Chopra, director and head of partnerships, Facebook India, said: “It is truly inspiring to see celebrities and artists from across the globe come together for this noble cause; and as part of our Social for Good initiative we are happy to partner with We for India to help provide relief to urban and rural communities impacted by COVID-19. Together, we will make a difference.”

Participants in alphabetical order:

Adah Sharma, Aditi Rao Hydari, Ajay Devgn, Ajit Mohan, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Alaya F, Amit Mishra, Amit Tandon, Ananya Panday, Angira Dhar, Ankur Tewari, Annie Lennox, Arjun Kapoor, Arjun Mathur, A.R. Rahman, Atul Satija, Bickram Ghosh, Deepali Khanna, Dia Mirza, Divyenndu Sharma, Dr. Ankesh Sahetya, Dr. Himanshu Mehta, Dr. Sanjay Arora, Dr. Tanu Singhal, Ed Sheeran, Farah Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Guru Randhawa, Harmeet Singh, Harrdy Sandhu, Hrishitaa Bhatt, Imtiaz Ali, Ini Dima-Okojie, Jaaved Jaaferi, Javed Akhtar, Jay Shetty, Jeeveshu Ahluwalia, Johnny Lever, Kabir Khan, Kalki Koechlin, Kanika Kapoor, Karan Johar, Karan Wahi, Kirti Kulhari, Lisa Mishra, Lola Lennox, Mahesh Bhupathi, Malaika Arora, Manish Malhotra, Manjari Fadnnis, Manmeet Singh, Meezaan, Mick Jagger, Mira Kapoor, Mithoon, Nakuul Mehta, Nancy Ajram, Nikhita Gandhi, Nile Rodgers, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Parampara Tandon, Parineeti Chopra, Prabhudeva, Pragya Jaiswal, Prakriti Kakar, Pratik Gandhi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Purab Kohli, R. Madhavan, Rahul Bose, Rajkumar Hirani, Rajkummar Rao, Rakul Preet Singh, Rannvijay Singha, Remo D’Souza, Ribhu Dasgupta, Rohit Saraf, Sachet Tandon, Saif Ali Khan, Salim Merchant, Sanjana Sanghi, Sanya Malhotra, Sapan Verma, Saqib Saleem, Sara Ali Khan, Shankar Mahadevan, Shantanu Moitra, Sharad Kelkar, Shekhar Ravjiani, Shibasish Sarkar, Shilpa Rao, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Shreyas Talpade, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Siddhanth Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Sister Sledge ft Sledgendary, Sonakshi Sinha, Sonu Sood, Steven Spielberg, Sukriti Kakar, Sulaiman Merchant, Swanand Kirkire, Tanya Maniktala, Tisca Chopra, Tusshar Kapoor, Usha Uthup, Varun Sharma, Vidya Balan, Vikram Bhatt, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vinod Khosla, Vishal Dadlani.

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