Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
Bollywood

Big B, Akshay to walk the ramp for Shabana Azmi's Mijwan

Darpan News Desk IANS, 26 Mar, 2014 04:17 PM
  • Big B, Akshay to walk the ramp for Shabana Azmi's Mijwan
Years after Kaifi Azmi wrote the moving poem "Aurat", envisioning women empowerment, his daughter, veteran actress and social activist Shabana Azmi, is bringing together Bollywood's iconic male actors like Amitabh Bachchan to walk for her NGO Mijwan Welfare Society (MWS) to support the cause.
 
The idea, she says, is to convey that "the man cares for the woman".
 
Amitabh, Akshay Kumar, Farhan Akhtar, Ranbir Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra - all belonging to different generations of the Hindi film industry - will walk the ramp to show their support towards emancipation of the female gender.
 
The show - Men For Mijwan by Manish Malhotra, is in support of MWS, an NGO founded by Shabana's father, a well-known poet. 
 
"What is unique about the event is that iconic male stars from different generations, whom we are referring to as MEN OF STYLE will be walking the ramp for the empowerment of women in rural India
 
"'The man cares for the woman' is the message we wish to convey. This is an idea whose time has come. There is much greater awareness today that for a healthy society, male participation in women's empowerment is the need of the hour," Shabana told IANS.
 
The aim of the NGO is to empower rural India with a focus on the girlchild and women, and it is now jointly run by Shabana and her godchild Namrata Goyal. 
 
The fundraising fashion show will showcase creations made using chikankari art by Mijwan girls. It will be held April 1 at the Grand Hyatt here.
 
"It is very heartening that my colleagues in the film industry whom we approached, were all aware of Mijwan and warmed up to the idea and I am truly indebted to them for their support," Shabana said.
 
 
"In fact, they have been forward in spite of gruelling film schedules. Some will come straight from their shooting, while some need to go back for a night shift, but they are accommodating us because the issue is so important," she added.
 
Citing an excerpt from her father's poem "Aurat", she said that he wrote: 
"Qadr ab tak teri tareeq ney jaani hi nahi
Tujhmein sholay bhi hain bas ashkfishani hi nahi
Tu haqeeqat bhi hai dilchasp kahani hi nahi
Teri hasti bhi ik cheez jawani hi nahi
Apni tareeq ka unvaan badalna hai tujhe
Uth meri jaan mere saath hi chalna hai tujhe."
 
Roughly translated:
 
"Not only tears, there are glowing embers within you
Not fables alone, there is a reality to you
Not only your youth, your existence has value too.
You have to change the course of your history
Rise my love! You have to come walk with me."
 
Women empowerment is a subject very close to Shabana's heart, and she is happy with the way Mijwan has grown from strength to strength over the years.
 
"When we started, we had one embroidery centre in Mijwan. Today we have 10 centres across Uttar Pradesh and we're still counting. The girls and women now have a livelihood because of which their status within the family has changed," Shabana said.
 
"They are saying no to marriage before the age of 18, have opened bank accounts in their names and they are being looked upon as assets, not liabilities. It's a huge mindset transformation in a patriarchal society," she added.

MORE Bollywood ARTICLES

Ajay Devgn has no attitude problem: Yaami Gautam

Ajay Devgn has no attitude problem: Yaami Gautam
Vicky Donor" actress Yaami Gautam, who is sharing screen space with senior actor Ajay Devgn in "Action Jackson", says he may be a star but he works without giving any attitude.

Ajay Devgn has no attitude problem: Yaami Gautam

Rabia conducts sting operation in Jiah Khan's murder case

Rabia conducts sting operation in Jiah Khan's murder case
Actress Jiah Khan's mother Rabia's lawyer claims that they have "recorded conversations of the witnesses" and the result indicates that it was not a case of "suicide"

Rabia conducts sting operation in Jiah Khan's murder case

Why Randeep Hooda never ask people for work

Why Randeep Hooda never ask people for work
Actor Randeep Hooda, who proved his mettle with "Highway" once again, says whenever he approached people for work it didn't work

Why Randeep Hooda never ask people for work

Priyanka looks forward to attending 'Chopra-style' wedding

Priyanka looks forward to attending 'Chopra-style' wedding
Priyanka Chopra's cousin Saurabh is getting married in Delhi, and the actress, currently busy shooting for "Mary Kom", is waiting to join her family for the wedding.

Priyanka looks forward to attending 'Chopra-style' wedding

Box office: Shaadi Ke Side Effects doing well

Box office: Shaadi Ke Side Effects doing well
Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan-starrer "Shaadi Ke Side Effects" didn’t create fireworks on the opening day but showed good growth over the weekend, say trade experts

Box office: Shaadi Ke Side Effects doing well

Preity Zinta says not contesting elections on BJP ticket

Preity Zinta says not contesting elections on BJP ticket
Preity Zinta has denied news reports that she may contest Lok Sabha elections against Congress MP Priya Dutt on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.

Preity Zinta says not contesting elections on BJP ticket