A R Rahman will perform a Sufi concert on December 24 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto to raise funds for Gaja cyclone relief. The musician will be joined by Javed Ali, Sivamani and Sana Moussa. The composer announced the concert via a tweet last night.
My Sufi Ensemble and I will perform a benefit concert in Toronto on 24 Dec at Metro Toronto Convention Centre Part of the proceeds will go to for Gaja Cyclone relief in TN I will be joined by Javed Ali, Sivamani & Sana Moussa
Log on to https://t.co/dQwCs6TNu0 for details/tickets
— A.R.Rahman (@arrahman) November 20, 2018
Cyclone Gaja, which hit the coast of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry last Friday, has taken the lives of more than 45 people and wreaked havoc in the districts of Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Dindigul, Trichy, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in the Union Territory of Puducherry. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy visited Pudukkottai district yesterday. According to the state government, more than 251,600 people have been evacuated to over 500 relief camps.
A report in LiveMint states that a total of 86, 702 electric poles, 841 distribution transformers and 201 electric substations have been affected. “Considering the extent of damage, it will take at least 10 days to fully restore just Orathanaadu town in Thanjavur district,” said Hari Krishnan, a TNEB foreman who had come to Thanjavur from Kanchipuram district for restoration work.
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The CM ordered the release of Rs 1,000 crore towards relief operations on Monday night. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the opposition party, announced Rs 1 crore for relief and rehabilitation works. The DMK president M K Stalin also said that his party’s MLAs and MPs would contribute one month of their salary as financial assistance towards the same.
The Tamil film industry has been doing its part in the relief activities. After Varalaxmi Sarathkumar and G V Prakash showed support, actors Surya, Jyotika and Sivakumar donated Rs 50 lakh towards the relief funds, and Lyca Productions – the production house bankrolling films like 2.0 and Indian 2 – has donated Rs 1.01 crore (one crore one lakh).
Lyricist Vairamuthu has come forward and donated Rs 5 lakhs to the relief fund.
Tickets for the A R Rahman concert in Toronto are priced between $49 and $300.