Telugu stars Pawan Kalyan, Mahesh Babu, Chiranjeevi donate for coronavirus relief

Telugu film stars Mahesh Babu, Pawan Kalyan, Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan have donated Rs4.7 crore towards coronavirus relief to the chief minister's relief fund of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

On Thursday, the stars took to Twitter to announce their contribution towards the relief funds of the two Telugu-speaking states.

Pawan Kalyan said he was donating Rs50 lakh each towards the CM’s relief fund of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and another Rs1 crore to the prime minister's relief fund. The actor said he was making the donation to help out "in turbulent times like this".

Superstar Chiranjeevi also announced that he would be donating Rs1 crore. “The lockdown situation, while mandatory to deal with the coronavirus, also adversely impacts the lives of daily-wage workers and lower income groups in the country, including in the Telugu film industry," he said on Twitter. "Keeping this in mind, I am donating Rs1 crore for providing relief to film workers.”

Ram Charan, who made his Twitter debut on Thursday, a day after his father Chiranjeevi made his social media debut, said he was inspired to donate by Pawan Kalyan’s tweet.

“Inspired by Pawan Kalyan’s tweet, I would like to contribute Rs70 lakh to the Centre and states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh relief fund in this moment of crisis," the younger star said in a statement. "I would like to applaud the commendable efforts of our honourable prime minister Narendra Modiji and respective chief ministers of our states, KCR garu and Jagan Mohan Reddy garu, in curtailing the vast effects of the pandemic COVID-19.”

Mahesh Babu also announced that he is contributing Rs1 crore towards the chief minister's relief funds of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

“Lauding the exemplary efforts of our government in tackling the coronavirus and doing their best to contain it, I’ve decided to do my part, contributing Rs1 crore to the CM relief fund of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,” the star said in a statement, and urged others to come forward and contribute in any way possible.