International stars and Indian celebrities to perform in India Covid-19 concert today.
Organised by the Bollywood directors Karan Johar and Zoya Akhtar, the event is intended to raise millions of dollars for more than 100 groups providing food and other essential services during the crisis.
Mick Jagger and Will Smith will be among dozens of international and Indian celebrities performing from their homes in a four-hour concert to raise funds for the battle against coronavirus in India.
The country’s cricket captain Virat Kohli, actors Priyanka Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan are some of the top domestic names billed to perform or read messages during the event on Sunday.
The performances will be livestreamed by Facebook and will pay tribute to workers fighting the pandemic.
Concert organisers said the money was needed “for those who have no work and no home and do not know where their next meal is coming from”. India’s 1.3 billion people have been in lockdown since 25 March. Restrictions have recently been eased, but they are expected to last until at least 17 May.
Other participants at the concert, called I For India, are reported to include Bryan Adams, Mindy Kaling, Jack Black and the Indian stars AR Rahman and Akshay Kumar.