Renuka Shahane thanks Akshay Kumar for helping her TV actor friend

PTI, Jun 16, 2020, 5:11 PM IST

Mumbai: Actor-director Renuka Shahane on Tuesday, June 16 took to social media to thank superstar Akshay Kumar for extending his help to her TV actor friend Nupur Alankar, who was struggling with dwindling finances due to Punjab and Maharashtra (PMC) Bank crisis and coronavirus-induced lockdown.

On June 9, Shahane posted on Facebook about how Alankar was in trouble after she lost her savings in the PMC bank scam last year.

Alankar is known for TV shows like “Reth”, “Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaan”, “Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo”.

In her post, Shahane had also said that Alankar had to take care of her ailing mother, who needed hospitalization, but she had no funds for the treatment.

In a series of tweets, Shahane referred to Kumar as an “angel” and thanked him for helping her friend.

“What can I say about the kindness of all who’ve helped my friend Nupur through this horrible time brought about by #PMCBankCrisis combined with her mother’s ill health & lockdown in our industry. Today I want to appreciate all of you & appeal to not contribute any further,” Shahane wrote on Twitter.

“An angel from our film industry has helped Nupur with a staggering help that will help Nupur’s mother get the best possible treatment. This angel has already helped so many actors, workers from the film industry without any expectation of even a thank you in return,” she added.

Shahane said after reading her post, Kumar contacted her husband, actor Ashutosh Rana, to offer help.

“He read about my FB post asking for help on Twitter. He called Ranaji for details about what I had shared. He asked how much Nupur needed. I told him the amount she had asked for and he told me that it will be done. And it was & topped up with more,” Shahane said.

The actor said she is thankful to Kumar for his generosity.

“I thanked him for his generosity and he said only one sentence in Marathi – ‘Please don’t thank me, her mother should get well, that’s it’,” she added.

Shahane believes there are some “gems” in the industry who stand by those in need.

“At a time when there is this raging debate about people not being there for each other, this angel has proved that there are gems like him who will stand by someone in need, someone who they have never met or worked with,” she added.

Shahane called Kumar “a man with a heart of pure gold”.

“My gratitude to this immensely generous, compassionate angel is boundless & forever. This angel is none other than superstar @akshaykumar,” she concluded.