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Bollywood star’s life changed by tsunami
19th Jan 2005 22.17 IST
By Nitika Desai

No other Bollywood star has made so much effort as Vivek Oberoi for helping the tsunami-affected people to get their lives back on track. In the process, Vivek’s life too has changed considerably.

Three days after the killer tsunami struck the villages on the eastern coast of South India, Vivek was already on his way to Devanampattinam village to take part in the relief work. At that time Vivek himself did not realize the mission he had embarked onto.

While other Bollywood celebrities showed their solidarity with the tsunami-stricken by signing the donation cheques or planning fund-raising event, Vivek decided to get involved directly and get his hands dirty in making the thatched houses, community kitchens and medical camps for the people of Devanampattinam, where at least 71 people were killed and the lives of hundreds of others shattered.

“Sending a cheque was not enough for me. I decided to go to the worst-affected villages for a day after collecting several trucks of supplies,” Vivek said in an interview.

But his visit, initially planned for a day only, extended to three weeks after he saw the scale of devastation in the village.

“As I hit the village I saw the scale of destruction. It was unlike watching or acting in movies. It was a life-changing experience,” the actor said.

Vivek’s decision to adopt the village came after a conversation with an old woman who lost everything.

“When I touched her, she broke down and started talking. She had lost her home and a son. She was refusing to eat. I could not turn my back on this village since then,” the actor told an agency in an interview.

So Vivek picked up relief supply bags and started delivering them to individual houses in the village. Seeing him other joined in and a giant relief effort ‘Project Hope’ was underway.

In his three weeks spent in Devanampattinam, Vivek oversaw and participated in the rebuilding of houses, setting community kitchen and repairing the damaged boats of fishermen. He and his spiritual guru Swami Chidanand Saraswati also conducted a Samudra Pooja to pacify the sea spirit. Vivek also got a singing troupe from a neighboring town to perform in Devanampattinam to bring back the smiles to people’s faces.

Vivek is now back in the tinsel town for the release of his movie Kisna. After Kisna’s release, Vivek plans to go back to Devanampattinam to build an orphanage, a community centre and a playground.

Hats off to you Vivek. May your Kisna do wonders at the box-office.

(Agency photo)