COVID-19: Over 85 top India and global stars in fundraiser concert

Over 85 celebrities from India and across the globe will unite to raise funds for India's fight against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Indian celebrities including AR Rahman, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will take part with global icons such as Will Smith, Mick Jagger and Bryan Adams for a Facebook home-to-home fundraiser concert titled I For India.

The entire proceeds from the fundraiser concert will go towards supporting on-ground relief efforts in the fight against COVID-19.

The four-hour concert will be live globally on Facebook on May 3, and will feature performances and personal messages from all the participating celebrities.

"Unexpected, uncontrolled, unparalleled. The coronavirus has forged a brutal path across the world, and in the line of fire is well - you me and pretty much everyone across the world. Lockdowns, quarantines, social distancing - yeh hain humara naya normal (this is the new normal)," said Priyanka.

Actress Katrina Kaif said there are thousands of frontliners and emergency workers who are putting their lives on the line every day in the fight against COVID-19. "Every rupee we collect today will help equip these heroes better thus protect them better. So please help keep safe those who keep us safe."

Sitar player Anoushka Shankar shared that humans have an incredible capacity for hope and resilience, and finding new ways to help others who need more than we do. Every end is a new beginning.

Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar said: "May we remember the lessons learnt and never forget we aren't above nature, we're just a small part of it."

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi feels that it's time people realised how interdependent they are on each other. "Irrespective of caste, class, gender, religion or country. It's time for introspection. It's time to shed our prejudices, it's time to come together in kinship and harmony."

Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook India, said that as a company, Facebook is committed to being an ally for India as the country fights the coronavirus outbreak.

"Our efforts so far have been focused towards providing access to accurate health information and supporting communities around the country. We recently launched Facebook Fundraisers, that allow people to leverage the full scale and power of the platform, and their passion, to direct resources to initiatives that can protect and save lives. We're grateful to the creators, celebrities and publishers participating in 'Social For Good' Live-athon to drive the fundraisers. The 'I for India' concert is the grand finale of these efforts, featuring well-known artists and influencers," said Mohan.

All proceeds generated from the concert will go to the India COVID Response Fund managed by GiveIndia.