Unlike other celebrity nominees, the Mary Kom actress went all out and took the responsibility to revamp an entire area in 16 days. Taking help from BMC and Sun Foundation, Chopra chose a village in Versova, Mumbai. She was actively involved as she picked up the garbage herself and even advised the residents to keep it clean.
Sharing the reason behind choosing Versova, she says, "We chose this place in Versova which we had visited during the shooting of my film Agneepath. We had put up a big set over there for the basti (village) scene, and I remember there are people who live here, and there are children who play on mounds of garbage here, and that's their life." Her idea was not to just clean up the place, but rehabilitate it. "That's the best we can do and eventually then it's up to them (the residents) to sustain it. I think the idea of doing this is to create something which is long lasting. And I hope for the best, and that it stays this way," she says.
PC has also knit the initiative in a video and posted it on Twitter. The 11-minute video shows the extreme transformation of the Versova slum into a neat, colourful habitat for its residents. In the video, PC says,"It took me a little longer than I wanted, but when Prime Minister asked me to be one of his 'navratnas', I was very excited. But I wanted it to be something that could be sustained."
Check out the video below:
