As the country underwent one of the hardest years it’s ever seen with the COVID-19 pandemic, a few ‘reel life’ heroes stepped up to the challenge and turned ‘real life’ heroes this year. Not only did these stars use their voice and stardom but also their resources, in alleviating the issues people from all walks of life faced, during this trying time.

Sonu Sood

The actor turned messiah for thousands of migrant workers by arranging transport, accommodation and a helpline number to ensure their safe return to their hometowns. Sonu Sood also opened the doors of his Juhu hotel for the accommodation of medical workers, not to mention, catering regular meals to the underprivileged in Mumbai. The actor even opened lines of communication between him and the public on Twitter, to address the issues they were facing.

Hrithik Roshan

Apart from donating a sizeable sum to the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Relief funds, Hrithik Roshan went all out to lend his support and provide safety essentials to the COVID19 front liners, including police officials and BMC workers, to thank them for their unwavering service. The star utilized social media to inspire and elevate, reaching out to the graduating batch of 2020 with a motivational message to lift their spirits. If that wasn’t all, he also used the platform to draw awareness to the hazards of travelling by train at a time the numbers were on the rise. Hrithik Roshan was among the first to lend financial assistance to the paparazzi and even made a donation towards CINTAA. Always the one to fuel young dreams, the star sponsored an aspiring but underprivileged ballet dancer from the country and even donated funds in support of 100 odd dancers who were out of work.

Akshay Kumar

The star has been actively spreading awareness about the preventive and precautionary lockdown rules to contain the spread of COVID19. To support frontline workers and daily wagers, the actor made contributions to numerous funds including the PM-CARES fund, the Mumbai Police Foundation, the BMC and CINTAA. Akshay also participated in Bollywood’s biggest fundraiser concert to raise money for those affected by the pandemic.

Salman Khan

Salman Khan extended financial support to 25,000 daily wagers of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), the members of All India Special Artists Association (AISAA) and spot boys whose payments were in limbo. Through ‘Being Human’ he also started food trucks ‘Being Hangry’ to deliver food items to villagers. Talking about being human, the star also did a lot of work for villages and small towns, providing 2500 families with food and other essentials and encouraging people to participate in “Anna Daan’ which made donations to those underprivileged, worst affected by the pandemic.

Prabhas

Known for being part of magnum opuses, Prabhas’ contributions too have been just as significant. He donated a hefty 50 lakh rupees each to the Andhra Pradesh CM Relief Fund and the Telangana CM Relief Fund and an additional 50 lakhs to the Corona Crisis Charity (CCC) established to help daily wage and film workers of Telugu cinema. The Pan-India superstar also donated a whopping 3 crores to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Prabhas also adopted 1650 acres of forest land in Telangana, with development funds to the tune of 2 crores for the eco-park, which will be named after his late father Uppalapati Surya Narayana Raju.