Facebook Teams With Global Entertainment Industry for India Coronavirus Fundraiser

By Naman Ramachandran

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Social media giant Facebook has recruited the cream of global entertainment industry talent for a home-to-home concert designed to raise funds for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic in India.

International participants at the May 3 ‘I For India’ concert will include Bryan Adams, Mick Jagger, Mindy Kaling, Jack Black, Nick Jonas, Sophie Turner and Will Smith. Similarly, a large contingent of A-list Indian talent will take part, including Shah Rukh Khan, A.R. Rahman, Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Vidya Balan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Alia Bhatt, Farhan Akhtar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Indian cricket superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will also appear at the concert.

The event has three aims: to entertain those locked down; to pay tribute to those who are working on the front lines; and to raise funds for those who have no work or home and do not know where their next meal is coming from. All of the proceeds from the concert will go to the Covid-19 response fund managed by GiveIndia.

Ajit Mohan, VP and MD, Facebook India, said, “As a company, Facebook is committed to being an ally for India as the country fights the coronavirus outbreak. Our efforts so far have been focused towards providing access to accurate health information and supporting communities. We recently launched Facebook Fundraisers, that allow people to leverage the full scale and power of the platform, and their passion, to direct resources to initiatives that can protect and save lives.” The concert is produced by Fountainhead MKTG.