Akshay Kumar handed ₹25 lakh Gurmeet Bawa’s daughter Glory Bawa to cope with the latter’s financial challenges.
Previously, the artist sought financial assistance from the government but all to no avail. She shared her financial struggles on social media, resulting in Akshay responding with ₹25 lakh for the family.
“I don’t have words to explain what it means to me,” stated Glory, who was touched by her brother’s gesture. “Kumar refused to call it a help, but something a brother would do for his sister,” she added. Asking if the money will end her financial struggles, Glory said, “It will help me and my family. But I want work and have been asking for the same. People have started reaching out to me, and hope artists like us find something substantial to do.”
Kumar said, “I got to know of this from social media. Bahot dukh hua ki Gurmeet Bawa ji, jo Punjab ki shaan thi, unke pariwar ko aaj itni financial problems hain. Maine unki beti Glory Bawa ko apni behen samajh ke ek pyaar ka gesture bheja hai. Yeh koi help nahi hai, ek Punjabi aur ek artist hone ke naate mera farz hai. (It was disheartening to see the family of Punjab’s pride Gurmeet Bawa reeling under financial problems. It’s a gesture of love made to her daughter Glory Bawa as a brother. This is not a help, but the fulfilment of my responsibility as a Punjabi and an artiste).”
Punjab cabinet minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal and Amritsar DC Ghanshyam Thori visited her residence recently and presented her with a financial assistance cheque of ₹1 lakh each. Glory, the sole earner in the family, expressed the financial difficulties her family was facing in a video. She also mentioned her responsibilities of caring for her sister Simran, her own daughter, and the children of her late sister Lachi Bawa, who was also a renowned singer and passed away from cancer.
In the video, Glory shared that her mother, Gurmeet, was famous for her ability to sing "hek" (singing in a single breath) for a remarkable 45 seconds. Gurmeet was known for her rendition of Jugni, following the footsteps of Alam Lohar, and was the first female Punjabi singer to sing on Doordarshan.