A detailed account of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and the participating Indian Celebrities, which is trending on social media these days. Whether or not it is justified, let us find out.
Social sites are clogged!
Tweets are shrieking of the brave hearts’ daring acts.
Media and public is going nuts over such antics.
And our B-town celebs definitely seem to be enjoying the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge!
Well, for those who still are unaware of this hovering story, here’s a curtain raiser.
ALS Ice bucket Challenge that has gone viral on the social media, one that US President Barack Obama politely put down after being nominated twice, many Hollywood celebs already stood face-to-face to it and now the charity dare has crossed the world to reach our country and Sania Mirza was one of the first in India to step up for the enterprising act!
How Does It Happen
In the Ice Bucket Challenge, people pour bucket filled with ice-cold water and ice-cubes on themselves in a bid to raise awareness on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). After completing the challenge, the person has to post their video and then nominate three others, who have 24 hours to take it up or else, will have to donate $100 to any charity working for Neurodegenerative Disorders.
Who All Are the Celebrities Who Took-up So Far
Sania after completing the challenge, nominated friend Riteish Deshmukh, who was the first Bollywood star to accept the challenge and in turn challenged a string of Bollywood stars like Abhishek Bachchan, Pulkit Samrat, Ashish Chowdhry, Sidharth Malhotra and Akshay Kumar to do the same.
Riteish said on his social media fan page “I accepted Sania Mirza’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge,to spread the awareness for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). I further nominate my friends Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Siddharth Malhotra,Pulkit Samrat and Ashish Chowdhry. Gotta do it within 24hrs -time starts now.”
Stars like Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu and Tollywood star Hansika have already risen up to the challenge.
Looks like Sonakshi Sinha had a better perspective of the cause.
She posted a little different video. Have a look.
Actor Ashish Chowdhry also stood up to Riteish’s challenge and posted his Ice Bucket Challenge video, he nominated an interesting bunch of hotties for this icy challenge; namely Anusha Dandekar, Sophie Chaudhry, Mandira Bedi and Neha Dhupia.
Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan seem to be the favorites, as they have been nominated for the second time by singer Daler Mehndi who took up the challenge bravely posed by a little non-celeb girl. He also nominated Priyanka Chopra.
Siddharth Malhotra challenged Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor and Mohit Suri after getting himself drenched in ice-cubes.
What exactly is this ALS?
Well, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the umbrella term used in the US to describe motor neurone diseases, as well as the name for the most common disease in this group, which in the UK we call Motor Neurone Disease. A motor neuron is a nerve cell that makes voluntary muscle movements. MND is a disease in which these cells stop working properly. Motor Meurone Disease (MND) affects a person’s ability to move voluntarily. MND stops people eating, walking and talking, for example, but doesn’t stop them from thinking or feeling, effectively leaving sufferers ‘locked in’ to their bodies.
There is no known cure at the moment.
Suffering Celebrities
Celebrities who have suffered from the disease include Professor Stephen Hawking and the actor David Niven from Hollywood. Hawking’s is an unusual case of MND as he’s survived with it for over fifty years. Only 5% of patients diagnosed with MND survive the first ten years after their diagnosis.
No popular people from India or Bollywood Celebrities have been reported to have suffered from such disorder as for now.
Now the questions are:
- How exactly does pouring an ice bucket over ones head helps a cause as grave as ALS?
- Wouldn’t it be more sensible to donate (whatever little or big you can) for the cause?
- Wouldn’t it be still better to spend time and efforts with people suffering from MNDs?
- Aren’t these celebs using this antic for the mere publicity and their DARING ACT is not an iota of contribution to the cause?
Ok fine, let’s say:
- It is fun to watch popular people plunk a bucket of ice water over their heads.
- It is been fun to see people get so involved in something that they might have known nothing about before.
- It is awesome knowing behind those challenges flows money and donations.
- It is raising awareness for ALS. Unless you know someone personally touched by the disease, it doesn’t get a lot of attention.
But, then why only for ALS?
There are many other issues worth fighting for in a nation like ours, and which need immediate attention. We can raise awareness against child labor, child marriage, female feticide, rape, dowry killings, child abuse, human trafficking, honor killing and many other such social evils that are eating up our very own nation. Why not put-up such challenges every now and then, raise awareness and funds against such demons of the society?
Why is that the celebs are following the foreign trend (ALS Ice Bucket Challenge came in from US) and basking in their 10 seconds of fame through social media?
All this just for mere publicity or are they actually worried about the people suffering from the disease?
Whatever the reasons be for these big people to pour ice over their heads, I really wish and hope this ice cools down their heads and with those cool heads they can think of such brilliant ideas for other important issues of the nation too. Because a celebrity’s voice definitely has power to reach far and beyond!
And for ALS; yes, undoubtedly it is a grave cause that needs attention, awareness and funds to fight against it. Kudos to those who have been successful in bringing in the desired results in whatever form it may be. Fingers crossed that the ice bucket challenge achieves the same success as the ‘no make-up selfie’ campaign, which happened earlier this year. This social media campaign raised a mind-blowing £8 million for Cancer Research UK in the time-span of just a week!
All the best to all who are participating and will be participating in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge!
Sincere and heart-felt prayers for all those who are suffering from MNDs.
