Shweta raises funds for relief work by auctioning art

Urging everyone to do their bit, Shweta Basu Prasad says now is the time to extend a helping hand to those battling Covid-19. “We’re currently in a situation where all of us need to help and contribute in whatever little way we can. We need to remember that no contribution is small,” the actor says.

To raise funds for those affected by the pandemic, Prasad recently took to social media to auction a painting that she had created as a tribute to Satyajit Ray on his birth centenary. The 30-year-old shares, “I’ve grown up watching his movies and reading a lot of his short stories. I’ve been a huge fan of this master filmmaker. He was known for writing stories and creating characters based on the common man. Today, the common man in the country is suffering because of Covid-19. I thought it would be a fitting tribute to auction my artwork on his birth centenary.”

She adds, “I’ve friends who lost their families. I’ve been receiving such sad news everyery other day. As an artist, I wanted to come up with a practical solution.”

The actor reveals that it took her 25 hours to paint the acrylic on canvas. The artwork consists of a portrait of Ray, along with visuals from his films such as Pather Panchali (1955), Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969) and Charulata (1964). The amount raised from the auction will be allocated to coronavirus patients, medical fraternity and their families.

The actor had been shooting for a web series prior to the imposition of the lockdown and wishes to resume work soon. “When the government issues a statement and we feel it’s safe to get back on the set, we shall resume. I, of course, miss work but health is our priority, right now,” she ends.

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