“Sick Covid patients have been forced to find ways to treat themselves at home as hospitals are choked with the surge in the number of cases and a shortage in oxygen supply,” a notice on the fundraising page said. “Let’s come together and help India stay safe and breathe again.”

Chopra Jonas hopes to collect US$3 million in donations by the end of May. As of Monday night, the fundraiser had amassed US$1.04 million from some 14,000 contributors.

Meanwhile, actress-turned-author Twinkle Khanna this month said she and her husband, actor Akshay Kumar, had secured 100 oxygen generators for patients in Delhi, Punjab and Mumbai.

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India’s oxygen crisis: Covid-19 patients rely on express trains and makeshift camps for air supply

India’s oxygen crisis: Covid-19 patients rely on express trains and makeshift camps for air supply

Many film stars with their own charities have tapped on their networks to support India’s coronavirus aid efforts.

Some have focused on distributing free meals to affected communities. These include veteran actor Salman Khan, whose Being Human Foundation is feeding frontline workers and local police in Mumbai.

Actress Shilpa Shetty, 48, is also providing food to affected communities through Khaana Chahiye (We Need Food), an organisation that distributes cooked meals and groceries.

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Actor Ajay Devgan, 52, has partnered with Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Council to set up intensive care units for patients, while actor Sonu Sood, who has ironically played villains in many a Hindi film, has been acting as a Good Samaritan by directly responding to calls for help on Twitter.

Sood, who has himself recovered from Covid-19, started a channel – “India Fights With Covid” – on the Telegram app to help coronavirus patients locate hospitals, medicines and oxygen cylinders. His Sood Charity Foundation has also been delivering oxygen supplies across India.

Another recovered coronavirus patient is actress Katrina Kaif, who shares Instagram posts to provide her 50 million followers with the latest details on everything from coronavirus call centre numbers to nutrition tips for Covid-19 patients.

Bollywood, which produces some 1,000 films every year – almost double the output of Hollywood – can play a vital role with its philanthropic outreach, analysts said.

“They can use their fame and influence to make a difference in times of a national or humanitarian calamity such as now,” said Neera Kakkar, a sociologist based in New Delhi.

The biggest stars can earn millions for each project. Salman Khan, for instance, reportedly charges US$15 million per film.

“People expect them to give back to society what they have received from it,” Kakkar said. “They have millions of fans who treat them like demigods. This is a good time for payback.”

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Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui called them out on their insensitivity and to “have a heart”.

“I don’t know what their arrangement is with the tourism industry. But for the sake of humanity, please keep these vacations to yourself,” he told the Bollywood Hungama website. “There is suffering everywhere. The cases of Covid are multiplying. Have a heart. Please don’t taunt those who are suffering.”

Other stars faced backlash for being too silent during the pandemic.

Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan lashed out at critics who accused him of not doing enough to help India in its time of need, saying he and his family found the comments “distasteful”.

“Yes, I do charity,” he wrote, but added he did not feel the need to disclose it publicly.

To silence his detractors, however, the 78-year-old released a list of people and organisations he had supported during the pandemic.

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Last year, Bachchan, his actor son Abhishek Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and granddaughter Aaradhya tested positive for Covid-19.

Additional reporting by Reuters