Richa Chadha’s initiative KINDry is a social media platform to share stories of hope

In the troubled times, it’s hard news that gets amplified – the issues, the threats, the failure of the system. What actor Richa Chadha has decided to do is to be the voice of people who showed what humanity is. For every death due to the want of oxygen, there was a person who selflessly went beyond the call of duty, to extend a helping hand.

KINDry is a social media initiative that aims to amplify the real heroes in the Covid times. “While we all were shaken by the sight of bodies floating in the Ganga and people gasping for oxygen, we also saw stories of courage, kindness and empathy. Those people chose to act selflessly and help those in need. While political news or that of death and destruction gets prominently displayed, such inspiring stories get buried somewhere in newspapers,” says Richa.

KINDry is neither a news portal nor an NGO, but a social media initiative to spread such stories of hope.

Richa pours over newspapers to find and fete such superheroes. “Each day, I get bowled over by these amazing stories,” admits Richa. She mentions Madusudan Patra, a 75- year-old farmer from Odisha who rode a bike for 300 km to hand over some money to a family. The sole earner of a family had gone missing from a Covid facility in Cuttack and Patra found about it and went all the way to just hand over money and rode back. “Imagine a 75-year-old man riding a bike for 10 long hours to help a family in need.”

Then there is Javed Khan from Bhopal, who turned his auto rickshaw into a free oxygen ambulance for Covid patients. And there is Dattatraya Sawant from Ghatkopar East in Mumbai, a part-time English teacher, who started a free auto service for those in need of an ambulance.

“Helping someone is not always easy, sometimes your personal, professional commitments leave little time or energy to do anything. But these are the people who chose to rise to the occasion and serve selflessly.”

Not just featuring these inspiring stories, KINDry has also become the space, where people are sharing their stories of kindness and artistes coming together to offer respite with their music and art. Her partner Ali Fazal is also a part of these initiatives to amplify kindness, “It’s a community effort to bring us all together,” says Richa.

Her upcoming projects include Fukrey 3, a web show called Candy, and a film, Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai, with Anubhav Sinha. Inside Edge 3 is due to release soon.

Also on the cards is the wedding with Ali Fazal, but that seems a little far away. “At least till our families get the second dose of vaccine,” she says. She is planning a live session with Khalsa Aid founder Ravi Singh for KINDry. “Punjabis are helpful. The situation in Punjab was way better than it was in UP or MP. People like Ravi Singh, Sonu Sood have led from the front!” —TNS

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