Fondly called ‘Anna,’ actor Suniel Shetty is not a reel-life hero but one in real life too
Rakhsha Bandhan, one of the most significant festivals in India,
has always given birth to inspiring stories of sisters going the extra mile for brothers and vice versa. With the festival around the corner, it is crucial to highlight the heroic tale of an actor who saved the lives of over 120 women—women he did not know, and who did not know him. However, he is fondly called ‘Anna,’ which translates to ‘big brother in several South Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, and this actor lives up to that name.
A hero even before he cemented his place
The incident dates back to 1996, even before Suniel Shetty had cemented his place as a hero in Bollywood, as he was only four years old as an actor at the time, having made his debut in the industry in 1992 with the movie ‘Balwaan.’
(Credit: Viplafoundationofficial/Instagram)
In Mumbai’s Kamathipura area, over 120 women were trafficked from Nepal. Shetty’s mother-in-law, Vipula Kadri, founded an NGO named Save the Children, which remains active to this day. When she got to know about the incident, given that she regularly worked with the Mumbai Police, Vipula Kadri sprang into action to save those trafficked girls.
Shetty’s next step
(Credit: Toyam Sports)
A modest Shetty has never taken credit for the entire operation, even though he was involved thoroughly. He rather emphasised the fact that when the Nepalese government refused to take the rescued girls back to the country, he got in touch with Naresh Goyal’s Jet Airways and arranged a flight to ensure the women returned to their home country safely.
Incident came into the light
The incident came into the light only a few years ago after one of the trafficked girls, Charimaya Tamang, revealed the ordeal in a Vice feature. Tamang herself runs an NGO in Nepal named Shakti Samuha.
(Credit: YouTube screenshot/ECPAT Luxembourg)
In her own words, she recalled, “On February 5, 1996, the whole of Kamathipura, the brothel area, had been cordoned off by police and social workers. They got us out of there. This is how we were rescued. After being rescued, our government (Nepal) refused to bring us back. They said we didn’t have our birth certificates or citizenship cards. That is when your film hero, Suniel Shetty, supported us. He got plane tickets to Kathmandu for 128 women who had been rescued,” as quoted by ABP.
Not Shetty’s only heroic feat.
This was not the only incident when Suniel Shetty took a stance against the world of crime. Appearing on the Lallantop podcast recently, Shetty revealed he once had a heated moment with g*ngster Hemant Pujari, who had threatened him and his family. During one such call from Pujari, Shetty shut him down by saying, “I couldn’t tolerate it anymore and abused him, shutting him up. I told him that I knew more about him than he knew about me. And that I also had more money and connections than him, so he should not mess with me.”
(Credit: Free Press Journal & Lallantop)
On this Raksha Bandhan, let Suniel Shetty’s story reach as many homes as possible so that people are inspired to stand up for a brother or sister, even if they do not know that person.
