The ever-radiant Hema Malini is deeply concerned about ground-level artistes and musicians.
“Those who lead a hand-to-mouth existence is really suffering in this lockdown. Musicians who play accompanying instruments at live concerts, chorus dancers, the spotboys, the photographers have no means of livelihood. Something must be done immediately to generate a basic income for them until the virus threat is over. In my constituency, Mathura girls dance every day at temples to earn a living. With temples shut they have no money to buy food.I’ve written to the Finance Minister Ms Nirmala Sitharaman about them,” says Hema Malini.
She is equally concerned about the Maharashtra government’s post-lockdown policy of not allowing actors above 65 to return to shooting. “This is absurd. I am above 65, Paresh Rawalji is also in the same age group. Mr. Bachchan is in his 70s. Are we all supposed to sit at home doing nothing? The criteria for working or not working should be physical fitness, not age. There are so many 60-plus professional out there—doctors, lawyers, engineers—doing so for themselves. God bless them. Let’s not discriminate on the basis of age.”
Hema Malini has written to the Home Secretary about the relaxation of age restrictions.