Chennai : With Tamil Nadu reeling under the worst floods to hit the state in a century and with rescue operations getting underway, actors Siddharth and RJ Balaji, popular among Tamil audiences, turned out to help the people.
Siddharth was one of the victims of the rains. His house in the city was submerged, but that didn’t stop him from stepping out and helping those in need.
Along with Balaji, who is also a popular radio jockey, the “Rang De Basanti” star formed teams to help stranded people in different parts of the city.
People came forward and lent their cars which were used to rescue people from the flooded areas.
Siddharth was soon joined by actors Vishnu Vishal, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Karthi, Khushbu Sundar and Vishal Krishna Reddy. Popular multiplexes like SPI Cinemas and AGS Cinemas opened their doors to offer shelter.
The two-member team grew bigger with the support of many volunteers, mostly the common people.
“It was heartening to see Siddharth and Balaji come out and help people. We were touched by their gesture and thus wanted to help too,” Ram Kumar, who joined Siddharth and his team of volunteers, told IANS.
The teams went around the city collecting food packets, 50 to 100 per batch, and other essentials and getting them delivered to people.
Social media played a pivotal role in this movement, helping the city to get back on its feet.
