Bollywood celebrities unite against domestic violence during coronavirus lockdown

Bollywood celebrities such as Karan Johar, Anushka Sharma, Madhuri Dixit, Rahul Bose and others have come forth to create awareness about the surge in domestic violence amid the coronavirus crisis. 

In a 58-second video titled Lockdown On Domestic Violence, they urge citizens to fight and raise their voice against the brutality taking place in their houses. The initiative is spearheaded by the Akshara Centre along with the Special Cell for Women and Children and supported by the Police and the Government of Maharashtra. 

Personalities like Ajinkya Rahane, Dia Mirza, Farhan Akhtar, Mithali Raj, Nandita Das, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Sakshi Tanwar, Shabana Azmi, Shreyas Talpade, Sonali Kulkarni, Sunil Shetty, Vidya Balan, and Virat Kohli have also participated in the campaign.

Talking about the initiative, Nandita Shah, Co-Director of Akshara Centre said, “This increase in domestic violence during lockdowns is not just an Indian phenomenon; it is being reported all over the world. We know that containment measures and quarantine are essential to overcome COVID-19, but we cannot have women entrapped in violent homes where even making a phone call is difficult.” 

Commenting on his association with Akshara Centre, Rahul Bose said, “From my first-hand experiences from the 2004 Tsunami to the times of this present COVID-19 crisis it is a devastating fact that calamities, natural or manmade, hit women hardest.”

He continued, “During this lockdown period incidences of domestic violence against women have spiked alarmingly across not just the country, but the world. It has been my privilege to be a part of this campaign (which, crucially, is in three languages, Marathi, Hindi, and English) created by the wonderful people at Akshara Centre in partnership with the Special Services Cell and the Government of Maharashtra.”