From reel to real, Odia actor Sabyasachi Mishra gets hero makeover

Ever since the lockdown was announced, Odia actor Sabyasachi Mishra had been trying to help people in distress.
The actor follows a simple yet strenuous modus operandi to execute his philanthropic plans.
The actor follows a simple yet strenuous modus operandi to execute his philanthropic plans.

BHUBANESWAR: Odia actor Sabyasachi Mishra has turned a messiah for thousands of helpless people stranded in different parts of the country. Responding to distress calls and messages of his fans on social media, he is making necessary arrangements for bringing them back to their native places in the State. So far, the actor claims to have facilitated the travel of around 1,500 people.

Ever since the lockdown was announced, the actor had been trying to help people in distress. “Initially, I used to reach out to people who needed medical help. With help of police and a City hospital, I managed to send essential medicines to the patients who were living alone,” he said. But the misery of stranded students and migrant workers led him to take up more challenging tasks,” he said.

On May 11, a student of Central Sanskrit University in Rajasthan, Rosalin Mishra, contacted the actor through social media seeking help for 80 stranded students there. “It was for the first time when I decided to bring back those 80 students home. I faced several challenges. It was not easy to coordinate with Covid control rooms, seek permissions from Government or arrange transport. Finally, I managed to bring back 72 students from Rajasthan,” he added. Since, he has been bringing back people from Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The actor follows a simple yet strenuous modus operandi to execute his philanthropic plans. He has made one of his contact numbers public through social media. Devoting several hours a day, he checks the messages or attends calls on the number himself. “I call them from another number. After speaking to the caller, it’s not very difficult to ascertain if the person is really in trouble. Once I verify the person’s details, I contact my friends and people in the administrations for the rescue operation,” he added.

Stardom made things a little easier for him to arrange logistics. However, he used his own savings to facilitate the journey of the stranded back home. “When I informed friends or vehicle owners about the trips, they offered me discounts. Sometimes, a few friends provided food to the returnees. You need to have the will to help people. And things will fall in place,” he added.

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The New Indian Express
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