Spotlight: Sushmita’s painting fetches Rs 25 lakh!

The actor put her personal work under the hammer to raise funds for Imran Khan’s cancer hospital.

Sushmita Sen had recently gone to Dubai to raise funds for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital which Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan has set up in the memory of his mother. Recollects Sush, “It was a wonderful experience. Imran Khan has built this hospital after he lost his mother to cancer. Cancer treatment is expensive and this hospital treats 70 per cent of the patients for free. That’s why I said yes to it.”

“I went to Dubai, did a three hour telecom for two days, did an auction dinner — in which for the first time — I shared my painting.” The painting went under the hammer for a good Rs 25 lakhs. Says Sushmita, “God bless that man because the money went for a good cause. We raised about Rs 8 crore in two days,” she adds.

Sushmita is now looking forward to going to Lahore to inaugurate the other Shaukat Khanum hospital. Impressed by Sush’s gesture, Imran has said he would be happy to be part of any fundraising programme in India. Sush has something more to say. “I want to thank my friend Parmeshwar Godrej who not only set up the whole thing but literally took care of me like a baby during the entire trip.”