Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has announced a contribution of Rs 11 lakh for 'Resul Pookutty Foundation', a non-profit welfare organisation founded by Padma Shri and Oscar winning sound technician.
Bachchan was here to unveil the 'Jeevarogya Medical Welfare' campaign launched by Pookutty's Foundation.
Lauding Pookutty's efforts, Bachchan said, "There are very few amongst us who would have decided like Resul. Not living in the glory of his great recognition, he had decided to convert what good he can do towards his own community and the people."
The 67-year-old superstar said there were two reasons for his coming to Kochi, one of them being that he had promised to be present whenever Pookutty begins this activity and the other being his "association" with the medical profession in this country.
"I commend Resul's efforts and desire to serve the people and reaching beyond his professional world through a sound social initiative of this kind," Bachchan said.
The foundation has entered into a tie-up with Kerala based Lakshmi Hospital, to offer medical aid, support and free surgeries to the poor and needy in Kerala.
"Resul is a patriot and my colleague. I am very honoured that Resul had decided to convert his great recognition towards social service," Bachchan said.
Speaking on the occasion the actor also expressed his faith in the country's medical talent which is why he never ventured overseas for treatment.
"I know there are many occasions in the past when I had the means to have myself treated outside the country, but I always respected and had good faith in the medical talent that is available now and I had not ventured out overseas for the treatment," he said.
Bachchan said he had "great association" with the medical profession in the country. "I had natural attraction to everything that is medically concerned," he said.
Pookutty said the past year had been a "dream run" for him. "From the time I won the Oscar, the gates have opened for me to stand up and serve the society in a larger way," he said.
"Somewhere, all this is the manifestation of many of my dreams and born out of various personal experiences" he said, adding "the overwhelming warmth and love showered upon me across the world needed to be reciprocated in a relevant direction, and bring to attention worthy issues around me."
"This was an earnest effort and a small beginning to that end," Pookutty said.
