Karan Johar, Rajkumar Hirani hold vaccination drives

Rajkumar Hirani and Karan Johar

Joining the league of celebrities working to alleviate the pain of many who are struggling during the pandemic, Karan Johar, Rajkumar Hirani and producer Mahaveer Jain have helmed a vaccination drive in Mumbai and Bengaluru, for domestic and film industry frontline workers.

Pankaj Dubey, novelist and CCO of Jain's film production house, says, "As part of the Change Within initiative, we thought of this drive, and launched it in Mumbai where we vaccinated over 3,000 people, especially frontline workers of the film industry, including domestic staff, drivers, and security staff. It's tough to get a schedule for the vaccination. Last week, we also held it in Bangalore, with help from Nikhil Kamath's Zerodha."

He adds that the drive will be extended in other cities as the team continues to familiarise itself with the governance of different states, and the availability of doses.

Johar and Hirani, Dubey adds, have been involved in the strategic planning of the drives. "One needs to have resources and a database of those in need. Celebrities amplify the idea and initiative, and more people join in to serve the cause. Kapil Sharma and Bhumi Pednekar are also actively partaking in this initiative. Bhumi was proactive in helping us provide hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and concentrators to people in need all across the country."

Also read: Karan Johar launches Yash Johar Foundation to help people of film industry