Bollywood superstar Farhan Akhtar used his panel appearances on Sony MAX’s IPL 2013 ‘Extraaa Innings T20’ post game programme to promote his flagship CSR cause M.A.R.D (Men Against Rape and Discrimination).
The actor is using his ambassadorial role with the broadcaster, in collaboration with the Pepsi IPL itself, to support and encourage gender equality.
Akhtar fronts a spearhead promotional film for the cause
and he pushes the promo and the cause through his on-air appearances on the cricket show.
During his conversations with cricket experts and show anchors, he is raising awareness through comment and conversation.
On the show that aired at 7pm on Wednesday 24 April, he recited his self-composed charter on M.A.R.D initiative.
The actor-director is also using his own social media channels to raise awareness about gender equality and rape using the #MARD hashtag.
He actively tweets around his show appearances with messages urging viewers and his fans to adopt and spread the message with tweets like ‘Check this out… Extraaa Innings IPL T20 #MARD initiative promo”.
Akhtar has also persuaded many of Bollywood’s biggest names to support the cause through his campaign.
Promos for the show and for specific IPL games feature him alongside other major Indian moviestar names – such as this example freaturing Akhtar alongside Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta
This promotion leads up to a focal point of the campaign on 26 April match between Team Kolkata and Team Punjab at Eden Gardens where Farhan and his team will distribute 70,000 moustaches to all spectators at the game.
The idea is to get everyone in the huge 86,000-seat stadium (India’s biggest) to sport a moustache in support to the cause.
Comment:
Focusing attention one of India’s biggest contemporary causes, one that has dominated both national and international headlines in recent months, through the country’s biggest unifying national live platform (the IPL), its biggest sports stadium and its most famous celebrities is perhaps the simplest and most powerful way to promote a cause.
It follows on from March’s Breakthrough/UN Women’s initiative, fronted in Indian by fellow film star Amitabh Bachchan, ‘Ring the Bell ’ which aims to get one million men to make one million promises to help end violence against women this year.
Links
MARD Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/TheRealMard
Mard Twitter
#MARD
Mard Initiative Extra Innings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXnGbn8r-C0
Farhan Akthar, Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS0mEdF2VWU
Sony MAX
Sony Entertainment Network
IPL
Ring The Bell Website
http://breakthrough.tv/explore/campaign/ring-the-bell/
