Akshay Kumar shared a special bond with his late father Hari Om Bhatia. He even named his production house Hari Om Entertainment. And now, Akshay is extending his love by starting a cancer shelter, exclusively for police personnel, under his dad’s name — Hari Om Cancer Shelter.
“The
project is close to Akshay’s heart. Years ago, when his (ex-armyman) father was undergoing chemotherapy at the Tata Memorial hospital, Akshay would notice how several policemen — while undergoing treatment for the disease — would face trouble with their stay and food arrangements. And that memory stayed in Akshay’s mind,” says an insider. “In effect, a policeman, who is undergoing cancer treatment in Mumbai can avail of the shelter’s services, including food and AC rooms with TV sets, by paying just
Rs. 400 per day.”
Akshay, who inaugurated the centre on Tuesday, March 12, says, “It has been a long-standing dream for me. Besides Mr Arup Patnaik (ex-Mumbai police commissioner), I am very thankful to Satyapalji (Singh; current commissioner), deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and Maharashtra home minister RR Patil, for helping me make my dream come true.”
A few months ago, when the actor got hold of a piece of land in Naigaon, he decided to build the shelter there almost immediately. “It was an emotional moment for him as the shelter started functioning from Wednesday, March 13 onwards. Right now, it’s a 30-bed home, but if things go well in terms of permissions and space, he might increase the capacity in the future,” adds the insider.