Journalist Sonal Kalra shared that Akshay Kumar quietly donated Rs 1 crore each to Bihar and Assam during the COVID-19 lockdown floods. The actor said he dislikes the word “charity,” believing helping others is a privilege and an opportunity to serve
Akshay Kumar
A moving moment unfolded when senior journalist Sonal Kalra shared a personal story about Akshay Kumar on TV show Wheel of Fortune, that offered a glimpse into the actor’s untold side.
Kalra, who revealed she has known the actor for nearly two decades, told the audience that she had witnessed a very different side of Kumar during the difficult days of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Sonal Kalra reveals Akshay Kumar's generous donation during pandemic
“A lot of people have seen one side of Akshay, but I’ve been his friend for about 20 years,” Kalra said on the show. “So I know another side of him, the one he doesn’t really like people talking about. But since I’m standing here in front of everyone, he can’t stop me today.”
She then recalled a conversation from the lockdown period, when anxiety was high across the country. While people were grappling with the pandemic, severe floods were also hitting eastern states such as Bihar and Assam.
“I told Akshay how worried people were during the lockdown, and at the same time Bihar and Assam were facing devastating floods,” Kalra said. “Suddenly he asked me, ‘Can you find the Chief Minister’s office number for me?’”
She arranged the contact through her sources and passed it along. What followed, she said, unfolded quickly. “Within a few hours, a political journalist friend called me asking if it was true that Akshay Kumar had donated Rs 1 crore each to the Chief Minister Relief Funds of Bihar and Assam,” she recalled.
When Kalra reached out to confirm the news, Kumar initially tried to brush it aside. “He said, ‘No, no… I have given the money, but it’s not a donation,’” she recounted.
Akshay Kumar refuses to call it charity
Kumar then explained why he avoids the language of charity altogether. Responding on stage, the actor said: “I have always believed the word ‘charity’ or ‘donation’ is the worst word. When you give something to someone, it’s actually your good fortune that you’re able to do it.”
He added, “God has made you capable of serving someone. So instead of saying donation, you should say you got the chance to serve.”
The exchange left the audience visibly moved and one of those rare times on National TV where a celebrity anecdote brought to the fore, the true meaning of giving. Kumar tried to reduce it to a simple act of service. But once Kalra told the story, it became a reminder that some actions carry their own weight and the most telling measure of a public figure lies in the things they never make public.
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