Aish' UMrao jaan outfit auction

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Posted: 19 years ago

Lights, camera, AUCTION!
By: Vickey Lalwani
October 25, 2006

Aishwarya

J P Dutta has decided to auction the magenta outfit worn by Aishwarya Rai in the song Jhoote Ilzaam in his forthcoming film, Umrao Jaan. The proceeds of the auction will go to Guria, a Varanasi-based organisation working for the welfare of children of sex workers.

A source from the production unit reveals that the outfit for auction is worth Rs 1 lakh and has bronze dabka work on it. "The bidding has begun on www.indiatimes.com."

Dildaar Dutta

Dutta will also sponsor the education of a sex worker's nine-year-old daughter, Laxmina, who was present at the music release of Umrao Jaan, along with Ajit Singh who runs Guria. Singh says Dutta had instructed him
to get a girl who was neither too small nor too old. "But I was really surprised when he declared his intention of paying for her education. It was not a part of the deal."

Dutta personally tracked down Singh, who has done lot of work for the welfare of sex workers in India. Why Guria? Says Dutta, "Umrao Jaan is the story of Ameeran, who has been sold into the flesh trade at a very tender age. Guria is involved with the rescuing of girls who find themselves in a similar situation."

What impressed Dutta about Singh's work was that he has made it clear to donors that he does not need money, but the love and affection of the society towards underprivileged children.

Says Singh, "I am very impressed by the fact that Dutta is out to do charity for a noble cause. We need more people like him in our country."
Noble cause

Singh says he began by adopting three children whose mothers were in the flesh trade. "But they came and took their children away from me eventually. That was in 1991, and I was in my early twenties.

Then I thought why not doing something else for them? I began Guria, a non-profit organisation fighting the sexual exploitation of women. While responding to their immediate suffering, we are focusing on the root causes of flesh trade — poverty and inequality. We have also set up a medical centre in the red light area of Shivdaspur."

Singh is planning a dance-n-song concert in Varanasi next week, for which he has invited Dutta. He says, "Like any other girl, why can't a sex worker dance? This concert is mainly to set up a viable option for them. We have been doing such shows since the last eight years. But I wonder if Mr Dutta will make it, since Umrao Jaan is just a few days away from release.
But if he does, I will be honoured."

Umrao Jaan hits theatres on November 3.