Well-known singer Neha Kakkar has once again proved that she has a heart of gold. On the latest episode of her popular singing reality show Indian Idol, she offered ₹5 lakh as a gift to veteran lyricist Santosh Anand.
According to reports, Kakkar was touched when Santosh, who has penned several timeless classics such as “Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma Hai” from Shor (1972) and “Mohabbat Hai Kya Cheez” from Prem Rog (1982), told the audience about how he has been out of work. He appeared on the show with musician Pyarelal of the legendary composer duo of Laxmikant-Pyarelal.
“I would like to give you ₹5 lakh as a small gesture and would also like to request the Indian entertainment industry to give Santosh Ji some work as he has been such a crucial part of our industry. It’s our duty to help our colleagues in their bad times,” Neha said on the show.
Earlier, Neha had gifted ₹1 lakh to Indian Idol contestant Shahzad Ali. As Shahzad sang Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s classic “Kinna Sohna Tenu”, he told the judges about his life. An employee at a small cloth shop in the city, Shahzad said he had been brought up by his maternal grandmother.
He said that to fulfill his dreams, his grandmother had to take a loan of ₹5,000 so that he could come to Mumbai and participate in Indian Idol. Neha was so touched by his story that she offered him ₹1 lakh. Vishal, meanwhile, offered to find him a good teacher who could train him.
Mohnish Singh
