Kollywood actor Suriya recently bought a luxurious apartment worth around ₹70 crores in Mumbai’s gated community, joining the ranks of other film stars in the area. This purchase is in stark contrast to the public statements made by his wife, Jyothika, who preached at an awards ceremony about the importance of donating to schools and hospitals rather than temples.
In her speech at the awards ceremony in 2020, Jyothika recounted that the Brihadeeshwara temple with all its grandeur reminded her of the palaces in Udaipur. As a part of her shooting, she had to visit a hospital that she found was poorly maintained. She used the awards ceremony as a platform to make a public request that people donate money to schools and hospitals instead of putting money in temple hundis. She went on to say that schools and hospitals are just as important, if not more so, and that they deserve more support from the public.
Furthermore, Suriya runs a “non-profit” organization called the Agaram Foundation and has resorted to virtue-signalling by being vocal for causes espoused by the ruling DMK. He is known for anti-NEET stance equating saying it filters away those aspiring to study medicine but Suriya’s hypocrisy shines through his teeth when one looks at the selection process for students seeking financial help for higher education through Agaram Foundation run by the actor. According to the Agaram Foundation’s website, they have a rigorous scoring system in place to identify ‘deserving’ students. This requirement seems to contradict the foundation’s stated mission of promoting education and social equality.
While their purchase of a new apartment is a personal matter, their public statements about the importance of supporting charitable causes ring hollow in light of this purchase.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.