Ayushmann Khurrana was recently seen in Chandigarh where he inaugurated a food truck in Zirakpur dedicated to the transgender community. The food trucks are being called 'Sweekar', a take on the importance of acceptance of the community in today's society. Ayushmann on Thursday handed over the keys to the Sweekar Food Trucks to the transgender community at Zirakpur in Chandigarh.
Speaking to ANI, the actor spoke about the importance of inclusion and empowerment for the transgender community. "This Food Truck has been inaugurated for a very special reason to encourage and include the trans community in society. It's a small step... more people who think about society and are sensitive towards it should come forward and help them. They (trans) are an invisible and underprivileged community in our country and this food truck is a kind of push to make them self-reliant and financially independent so that they can find a place in society," he said.
Leading trans activist from Chandigarh, Dhananjay Chauhan, the first transgender student of Panjab University who champions the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, thanked Ayushmann for the initiative. "The definition of progress of a country can be measured in how empowered, self-reliant and protected every community feels. Ayushmann has always been a true supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community in India. He has done this through his brand of cinema, as well as in the way he lives his life or how he conducts himself on social media. Chandigarh is his home. So, it is really special that he has stepped forward to help the transgender community here," she said.
"I strongly feel that we don't need anything special from society. We only need them to see us, hear us and accept us. A lot of us are educated, hardworking and just need work opportunities to prove our mettle. Ayushmann has given wings to our aspirations and encouraged us every step of the way. We are going to make this count," she added.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Ayushmann was last seen in the comedy-drama Dream Girl 2. The film also starred Ananya Panday, Annu Kapoor and Abhishek Banerjee in key roles. He will next be seen in Amar Kaushik's directorial Vampires of Vijay Nagar.
(WIth ANI inputs)
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