Runa Laila : All for a good cause

Runa Laila. PHOTO: STAR

However, Runa was pleasantly surprised when she found that the children knew her by name or face. "Many of them knew my songs, which was very heartening," she comments.

From that momentous encounter onwards, Runa and her husband Alamgir have left no stone unturned to help such unfortunate children. Now they are the driving force behind a forthcoming concert on June 17 at Hotel Sheraton's Winter Garden.

The concert will showcase artistes from the world of theatre, TV, music and the silver screen. Among the key personalities are Shakila Zafar, Kumar Bishwajeet, Ayub Bachchu, Asif Akbar, Robi Chowdhury, Ankhi Alamgir, Tishma, Manna, Reaz, Purnima, Popy, Zahid, Mou, Ratan, Riya, Sohail, Alamgir and Runa Laila herself. According to Runa, the concert is a major milestone. As she amplifies, "So many prominent artistes rarely get together to stage a performance for a social cause."

The public response has also been heartwarming. Beginning with a seven-year-old boy who donated his entire pocket money of Taka 600, the concert has drawn the artistes, the banks, the donor organisations, the multinationals and local organisations as well as the media.

According to Runa, the forthcoming concert disproves the old adage that artistes are materialistic and can never unite for a social cause. "This is completely untrue. In fact, the artistes were very excited about the concept of such an event and they came forward voluntarily. Some of them are helping by performing free of cost, paying or finding donations or just helping to sell the concert tickets," asserts Runa.

Ticket sales, adds Runa, are satisfactory so far. She is keeping her fingers crossed that the tickets will be sold out. "The entire proceedings, deducting the unavoidable costs, will be donated to society for the benefit of these children," she points out. Explaining the modus operandi, Runa says, "We have targeted a big sum for donation. We plan to have a fixed deposit for SWID-Bangladesh so that they will be able to draw their monthly expenditure from it."

The concert, believes Runa, will go a long way in clearing the air about intellectual disability. " These children, suffering from Downs Syndrome and other diseases, cannot express themselves. People often make fun of them. We have to make people aware that they are not devoid of sentiments and emotions--even if they cannot always express them," she says.

In fact, maintains Runa, there are many bright children who are intellectually disabled. It is necessary to generate social awareness about their talents--be it in painting, singing, dancing or acting--and enable them to live with dignity.

Right now Runa is so immersed with the concert that she has little time for anything else. But, as she maintains, it is all for a good cause. "Artistes have a responsibility to the less privileged. As God has given us special gifts,we can use those attributes for a better cause. We are blessed and should extend blessings to the less fortunate," says Runa.