iFor India: Bollywood's biggest names joined by Hollywood stars for live-streamed coronavirus relief concert

A night of performances, talks and music for charity

Bollywood stars Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan and Abhishek Bachchan all took part in the iFor India relief concert on Facebook. 
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India's King of Bollywood, superstar Shah Rukh Khan, told jokes and sang for his adoring fans on Sunday during an almost five-hour online benefit to raise funds for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Millions of viewers watched more than 70 of the country's biggest celebrities, including cricket captain Virat Kohli and actor Khan, as well as international names such as actor Will Smith and rock legend Mick Jagger in the iFor India show broadcast on Facebook.

"I can, I will, and I must help," Khan told fans after singing a cheerful, humorous ditty about how "everything will be alright" following the deadly crisis.

Sab Sahi Ho Jaayega

Extremely grateful to #IforIndia, BADSHAH & Sainee for music, lyrics & for working overnight. Thanks Sunil for the edit. All so that I could sing. Ab bhai, lockdown mein mujhe gaate hue bhi jhelna padhega. AbRam is saying 'papa enough now!’ Par Sab Sahi Ho Jaayega!

Posted by Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday, May 3, 2020

Jagger and Smith spoke about the struggles of rural migrant workers, many of whom have lost their jobs and gone hungry during an ongoing nationwide lockdown imposed from late March.

"They may have lost their jobs, they may have lost their homes. They and their families may be going hungry. So I would like to ask you to donate. Please give what you can," Jagger said.

Bollywood's biggest names, including Indian actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas and heartthrob Hrithik Roshan, along with local choirs and children sang or spoke passionately in English and Hindi about raising money for those in need.

Other celebrities interviewed doctors and experts about the virus and how health workers were coping on the frontlines of the pandemic.

Organised by Bollywood directors Karan Johar and Zoya Akhtar, the event has so far raised 42 million rupees (Dh2 million) out of a target of 60 million rupees.

The donations would be matched rupee-for-rupee by major philanthropic groups including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the organisers said Sunday.

Watch the full iFor India broadcast here: 

#IForIndia Bollywood concert for COVID 19 relief | Full Video

#IForIndia is LIVE! Your favorite leading actors, musicians, singers, sportspersons and business leaders are here to entertain you from their homes, with performances straight from their hearts. They promised to keep the show going and now it’s time to play your part! 100% of all proceeds of #IForIndia will go to GiveIndia’s Covid 19 relief efforts. This will help provide PPE kits to healthcare workers and food, rations, and cash relief to daily wagers and migrant workers. Do your bit. DONATE NOW! Press the Donate button | For UPI Payments please visit - https://pages.razorpay.com/IforIndia | Click here fb.me/IforIndiaFundraiser Min donation INR 150/-.All Debit/Credit Cards on Visa/Mastercard/Rupay. For UPI (no min limit) #IForIndia is produced by, and posted here on behalf of, Fountainhead Entertainment Pvt Ltd who are responsible for the content.

Posted by Facebook app on Sunday, May 3, 2020

'No work, no home' 

The funds will be donated to more than 100 groups providing food and other essential services during the crisis.

Concert organisers said the money was needed "for those who have no work and no home and do not know where their next meal is coming from".

India, the world's second-most populous nation with 1.3 billion people, late Sunday reported just over 40,000 cases of the infectious disease and 1,306 deaths.

The government has hailed the weeks-long lockdown aimed at limiting the virus's spread, but the number of new daily cases has continued to gradually rise with experts calling for more virus testing.

The lockdown was extended for two weeks on Friday, but some restrictions are set to be eased from Monday in areas with fewer virus cases.

Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of New Delhi, which has the third-highest number of virus cases among India's states and territories, said Sunday that the economic impact of the lockdown was severe in the national capital and the city needed to be reopened in non-virus "containment zones".

"People are facing a lot of hardships. Jobs are going. The economic infrastructure has been hit hard," he said in an online briefing, adding that he would speak to the national government about the possibilities of opening up Delhi.

"We have to start preparations so that we can learn to live with corona. Corona has now come in our country. It's not going to go anywhere."