The ARTiculate Pratham UK gala took place in London on Friday 5th October, and Bollyspice.com attended the prestigious event, which saw Bollywood actress Kajol show her support for the charitable cause.
Taking place in Guildhall, London, the charity event attracted a number of personalities, including Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan, director Gurindher Chadha, British Asian actress and singer Preeya Kalidas, Lakshmi Mittal, Lalit Modi as well as famed Indian designer Sabyascahi Mukherjee.
Pratham was established in 1994, by UNICEF, to address the problems of primary education in Indian. Pratham does not run its own schools, but makes public expenditure more effective by supplementing governmental efforts in schools and communities.
Kajol flew in from India to show her support for the charity. Speaking at the event about Pratham and the children the charity helps, Kajol said, “When you meet these children, the one thing that strikes you is the fierce hope that they all have. They seem to know and understand the worth of what they are being given.
The actress went on to say, “I think a lot of us take for granted the fact that we are bilingual or trilingual and that we can read and write. We take our education for granted. But these children don’t. You can make it out when they spell Apple or when they sing a song. That’s why Pratham’s work is so vitally important.”
The night included a champagne reception; a three-course dinner prepared by famed chef Manish Mehrotra and a fashion show by acclaimed Indian designer Sabyasachi.
Lord Harry Dalmeny, the deputy chairman of Sotheby’s UK, conducted the auction of the night which saw a number of items on auction, including tickets to a recording of Karan Johar’s talk show Koffee With Karan, a day on the set with a Bollywood superstar, a Roberto Cavalli dress and gem palace earrings, as well as two sarees from Sabyasachi.
The charity event raised over half a million pounds on the night. For more details on Pratham visit: www.pratham.org.uk.
Some images from the event:
