DIANA PENTY TALKS ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE KHAKI PROJECT

Jyothi Venkatesh

It was actor Shikha Malhotra who was the first actor to jump into the bandwagon of helping the victims of the pandemic .Then came Sonu Sood who helped the immigrants to go back to their native places. While Akshay Kumar helped freelance scribes financially, Salman Khan and Rohit Shetty set out to financially help the freelance photographers. Madhuri Dixit also pooled in her mite for the technicians while Ashwini Bhave helped the stage actors Now the latest to wake up to come to the aisd of victuims fo the pandemic is Diana Panty, who has started her own  lockdown initiative 'The Khaki Project' which has been getting support from many in the film fraternity. The actress is also getting many blessings from the front line heroes fighting the pandemic.

Right from the first week, Diana along with the Salaam Bombay Foundation (SBF) started an initiative to provide basic essentials to police officers. Initially, she connected with the Byculla police station, to understand how she could help those risking their lives to battle Covid-19 and after speaking with some senior cops across Mumbai, the actress kick-started her initiative. Diana says, “We wanted to help those on the frontline ensuring people were off the streets.

We wanted to show our appreciation and give back in any possible manner. So, we focused on two essentials — hand sanitisers and safety eyewear — with which they could protect themselves on duty. With the assistance of SBF, we identified 10 police stations (with around 2,000 personnel) across South Mumbai that either fell under containment, or needed supplies the most.” Diana also revealed that further with the initiative she hopes to extend the support to all of Mumbai’s 94 police stations.

The ‘Happy Bhaag Jayegi ‘  actress also revealed that she is involved with the drive, right from planning and execution to packing and distribution. “It was natural for us to invest in the project as we feel strongly about the cause. It’s our little way of saying thank you to Mumbai Police. They ensured a smooth lockdown and went beyond the call of duty to help those in distress. We hope it can make a difference, even if in a small way,” says Diana.Talking about being at home due to the lockdown, Diana reveals, “This time made me realize how lucky I am to have a home and the luxury of social distancing. It’s been heartbreaking reading about people suffering in these tough times. I’m grateful for what I have and I think now more than ever, it’s important we help those in need. It’s helped me realize that I’m way more capable around the house than I could ever imagine! (laughs)

But on a serious note, I’ve had the time to think about things, life, the world in general and my place in it. It’s been a great opportunity for me to connect with myself and learn. I’ve learned to value the little things in life that I would have taken for granted. I value the people I’m close to and whom I love.”On the work front, Diana will be seen in the movie Shiddat, directed by Kunal Deshmukh. The love story also features Radhika Madan, Sunny Kaushal and Mohit Raina.