On Sunday, March 22, people from across India took to their balconies and rooftops at 5pm to applaud, cheer and show their support for medical professionals, airports staff, police, armed forces, municipality services and all other essential workers who are battling the coronavirus outbreak.
Social media erupted with pictures and videos of people clapping, whistling, clanging plates and spoons, and generally making noise and show their support across cities in India.
Bollywood celebrities weren’t left behind, either. A number of A-list celebrities participated in the initiative, which was part of the Janata curfew announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, March 19.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was spotted along with husband, Abhishek Bachchan, and their daughter, Aaradhya, clapping from their residential building. They were accompanied by Amitabh Bachchan. The star also shared a video of the entire family on Instagram, ringing bells from the rooftop, while all dressed in white. “God bless, take care and much love always,” Rai Bachchan captioned the video.
Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh posted a sweet picture of wife Deepika Padukone joining in the applause with the caption: “Thank you to our heroes.” The duo were spotted on their balcony, celebrating those fighting the virus.
Director Karan Johar was captured clanging a metal plate with a spoon in a show of support, while Kartik Aaryan shared a funny picture with a utensil on his head. Almost all the celebrities thanked professionals for their services on social media, and encouraged their fans to stay indoors wherever possible.
Here’s a look at some of the Indian celebrities who participated:
Modi announced that the day-long Janata curfew would be held on Sunday, March 22, in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus in India, where 360 confirmed cases have been reported as of Monday.
Modi requested that everyone avoid public places and stay home, but encouraged people to come to doorways and balconies and clap to encourage people working in essential services.
With the initiative being a success, he took to Twitter on Sunday to thank everyone leading the fight against the coronavirus once more, while reminding people to practise social distancing.