Jackie Shroff and Rohit Shetty come forward to assist independent freelance journalists affected by the lockdown

The current ongoing dreaded corona pandemic has had a substantial impact on people’s health with lakhs losing their lives from this deadly virus.

The government has imposed a lockdown to prevent the spread of this disease. This second wave is more frightening than last year - Jyothi Venkatesh

Many people have lost their lives due to the inconvenience of treatment. Many of them are falling prey to economic disaster.

Small businessmen, private companies, labourers have suffered huge financial losses. We lost senior film journalists like Shyam Sharma (of Mayapuri) and Mohan Ayyar last year to Corona.

In such a situation, the only means of their hope is help with some special sections. The film industry too has had a sizable brunt with many once again being deprived of their livelihoods.

The production activities had been halted and the releases have been cancelled and postponed.

The lives of many have become miserable and have even left the city and headed towards their native places. The government or other means of assistance hardly reaches them.

Mirroring its blow across all sectors, especially the freelance film journalists and senior correspondents who have been around from over the last four-decades have once again had no other alternative but to face the disaster and struggle hard to fulfill their basic necessities.

The situations have been disturbing with many being out of their job, no assignments and completely dried up their savings too.

Few Bollywood celebrities like Jackie Shroff, Rohit Shetty, etc have individually come forward to aid in the time of covid crisis and provide some relief.

Kudos to the veteran actor Jackie Shroff for having stepped forward to help independent journalists with food grains and basic necessities.

He has been distributing ration kits, medicines, accessories etc to journalists since the last lockdown.

Director Rohit Shetty also has come forward to assist many independent journalists by giving them financial support.

Significantly, Johnny Vaz, a senior member of the tribe of journalists who has been reporting in Bollywood for over thirty years took the much needed initiative to help some of the free-lancers, along with Santosh Sahu who has been a prolific freelance journalist.

Both of them have been in constant touch with many of the industry celebrities from all walks of life and are also well aware of their plight and the prevailing financial conditions after the outbreak of COVID-19.

Johnny and Santosh approached the film industry’s celebrated actors, directors, filmmakers, business managers, personalities and apprised them of the situation.

Though several stars have been approached including Ajay Devgn and Sonu Sood, it was graceful on the part of Jackie Shroff and Rohit Shetty to immediately extend their hands and offer to assist the freelancers by way of household provisions and cash to tide over the crises.

The fraternity of freelance journalists, especially those who lack a formidable association or Union to put forward their case like the workers do, express their gratitude to all of them for the generous help received in the nick of time which is indeed not a small blessing in disguise.