While several artistes choose to enjoy fame and fortune with material lavishness, actor Pankaj Tripathi has turned to charity.
Tripathi is now involved in the Swachh Bihar campaign, and is advocating the benefits of ending the practice of open defecation.
Masaan (2014) actor Tripathi has been roped in for the Swachh Bihar campaign in Belsand in Gopalganj district of Bihar.
The campaign has been initiated by the district magistrate of Belsand, Rahul Kumar, to curb open defecation in the district.
The campaign is called the Lohiya Swachh Bihar Abhiyan, an initiative with the Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion Society, to raise awareness on the dangerous consequences of open defecation.
The campaign aims to make Bihar 'open defecation free' (ODF) by 2 October 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji.
The objective is to achieve ODF status in all 534 blocks of Bihar and secure sanitation and health for all by improving the cleanliness index of rural areas with special focus on change among the community members.
Tripathi, a native of Belsand, visits his hometown every 3-4 months and actively participates in these campaigns. With his growing popularity, the actor has been brought on board to help spread the information across all quarters.
Asked about the initiative, Tripathi said, "I am honoured that the district magistrate chose me to be part of this initiative. I think as an actor it is very very important to have a social responsibility towards the people of your hometown and in general. Actors should put in a good effort at social building instead of bodybuilding. I hope with the initiative all houses in the village get toilets and open defecation is a thing of the past."
Tripathi is currently awaiting the release of Rajinikanth's Kaala, in which he stars as a policeman opposite Rajinikanth and Nana Patekar. The film was earlier scheduled to be released on 27 April but has had to be postponed because of a strike by Tamil film producers.