What were you doing when you got news of the Great Quake?

I was busy shooting a scene from AMR Ramesh’s upcoming Tamil-Kannada bilingual film Game. There, I got a call from a friend who informed me about the quake. We had scheduled for a whole-day shoot in that location, but we wrapped  up in an hour and I came back to Mumbai. I wanted to come to Nepal.

What did you do next?

I called my mother. She told me not to come—she insisted that I stay put and take care of my own health. She said they were fine at home.

And then I came to know about the fallen Dharahara. It  was painful news. It shocked me and broke my heart. Dharahara was a symbol of our pride.

How have your family and friends been affected by the quake?

My whole family lives in Kathmandu. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. But I came to know that they were badly shaken up.

After the news of the quake, what did you do to help?

In India, I called director Mahesh Bhatt, then my Nepali friends living in Mumbai. I also contacted my close friends in Bollywood and requested for their help.

I also called my sister and brother who have been living in Delhi—with the help of the Nepali Embassy in Delhi, they imediately started collecting relief material and dispatching them.

Then my friend Gulsan Grover and I were invited by the people of Mauritus. They donated $ 1 million for relief work to the UNFPA.  

What did you do after you reached Nepal?

After arriving, I first met with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. He is also my uncle and I asked him if I could help in any way. I requested him to create a platform through which we could assess the situation the affected people are in and work accordingly to provide them with relief and rehabilitation.  

The government recently announced you and comedy duo MaHa as goodwill ambassadors to raise funds for relief and reconstruction. What has your team been up to so far?

We have been conducting meetings in a weekly basis. This week, during the meeting, we talked to NRN’s president Shesh Ghale.  Besides that, we have been in taks with government stakeholders and have been discussing on how we can reach the masses more effectively and carry out relief and reconstruction operations smoothly and in a more transparent manner.

I think, at a time like this, those who misuse funds and are involved in corruption are commiting a grave crime and should be punished severely.

Which affected areas did you visit and what did you do there?

After coming back, I visited Kavre, Sindupalchok,  Khokana  and other open spaces—like Tundikhel—where the affected are living in makeshift shelters. I distributed Dignity Kits—each kit includes a towel, shawl, torch light, tooth paste and tooth brush among others—in these areas. Besides that, we have also sent the kits to all 14 quake-affected districts.

Recently, I also visited Bungamati, where my brother, Siddhartha Koirala, is working hard to help the residents there.

You are leaving for Mumbai on Monday (today). Will your work as an ambassador be on hault until you come back?

I am quite aware that there is a lot I need to do here. But since I have already made my commitment to the film I am currently working on, I cannot abandon it. I plan on completing the project in a day or two. I’ll come back to my work here as soon as I’m done there.

What role could artists, like you, play during such a time of crisis? Do you have a message for Nepali artists that you would like to impart?

It is times like these when we have to show our solidarity and work together. On Saturday, a friendly fundraiser football match between artists and politicans was held. This is a positive sign.

I would like to request all the artists to go to the villages, and try to reach even the remotest quake-affected areas.  We artists should interact with the people, and help them rebuild their confidence. Artists should visit temporary shelters and motivate students to go to school and to never give up.