When the devastating floods hit Tamil Nadu, people from all over pitched in to help. Actor Vishal was one of them – he worked with a group of friends called the ‘Rescue Chennai Team’ to mobilise relief efforts. As the rains increased, so did the resolve of the volunteers to help, despite the increasing chaos.
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Vishal recalls how it all started, “I was shooting in Rajapalayam [for Marudhu] when news of the worsening situation hit me. I decided to drive down to Chennai and do something about it. A group of friends and I got together and started collecting things to donate. We filled up a truckload. In the beginning, we didn’t really grasp the magnitude of the situation, and just how many areas had been affected. We initially met at Loyola College, and then decided to camp at the Lady Andal School, where we had obtained permission to set up a control room. And then, what started out with one lorry turned into a movement.”
As volunteers from colleges like VIT and Loyola pitched in, Vishal made a WhatsApp group called ‘Rescue Chennai’, to co-ordinate activities. Soon the school grounds were abuzz. Donations poured in, and trucks and supplies began to arrive from Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Bangalore, and surrounding areas. Women bringing things in cars, tempos, vans, and containers; the relief material just kept pouring in. Rescue Chennai ensured that it was delivered to people who needed it the most, especially people in remote areas. From blankets and clothes, to vessels, grains, snacks, toiletries, and medicines, the team put it all together.
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Many think that Rescue Chennai was started by the Nadigar Sangam. But Vishal clarifies, “Several actors are a part of Rescue Chennai, but Nadigar Sangam has nothing to do with it. People from many professions are in this group, from businessmen and IT professionals, to doctors, social activists, and actors. It was a coming together of like-minded people.”
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Vishal subsequently went to Cuddalore, which had been affected badly, to oversee the team’s work there. But by the end of the week, Vishal had to resume shooting in Rajapalayam. In between shots, however, he could be spotted with phone in hand, co-ordinating with the Chennai team. He says, “I had to source out supplies and co-ordinate with the base camp. Hats off to our team who worked until the wee hours of the day, off-loading material from trucks, sorting it all out, and taking it to remote areas for distribution.”
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Now the base camp has been wound up, but Vishal has set new goals for himself, “Next comes phase two, which is rehabilitation. We want to raise awareness to keep Chennai clean, help rehabilitate the worst-hit villages, and organise counselling for 10th and 12th standard students. This will be done by the Nadigar Sangam as well as my family’s Devi Social and Educational Trust.” Vishal is happy that thanks to so many people’s efforts, he now has a database at hand.
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He also acknowledged the support from other film fraternities, like the Telugu film industry. He says, “It’s heartening to see how they sent so many trucks. Rana [Daggubati] visited Chennai personally to oversee things. Hats off to them for rising to the occasion and pitching in.”
He may have returned to shoot in the world of make believe. But it’s this real life undertaking that continues to be Vishal’s prime focus.
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