The telethon, which marked culmination of a six-month long fundraising drive, received pledges from several organisations and individuals alike, with significant contributions from donors such as Tetra Pak, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd, SRF Foundation and UN Habitat, towards raising the amount.

The Coca-Cola Foundation committed Rs.2.5 crore for the purpose.

The Coca-Cola NDTV ‘Support My School’ campaign

For the first time ever, the 12-hour telethon which began 9 a.m. and finished at 9 p.m. was also being streamed live on Tendulkar’s Facebook page and also on video sharing website YouTube.

The second edition of the ‘Support My School’ telethon, held at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai was kicked off by Coca-Cola India & South West Asia president and CEO Atul Singh, NDTV India CEO Vikram Chandra, campaign ambassador Tendulkar and Aishwarya.

Several celebrities including Ayushmann Khurrana, Cyrus Broacha and Boman Irani also offered support and joined the telethon. Ajay Devgn and Kajol, who contributed in the first year also, joined in to help support the cause.

“Telethon 2013 has once again been an overwhelming experience with higher levels of enthusiasm and support for the ‘Support My School’ campaign than ever before. The campaign is very close to my heart and I am delighted at the response we have received this time from individuals and corporations alike,” Tendulkar said.

Aishwarya expressed joy for being able to support the campaign.

“As a mother, I understand the urge to provide your child with the best opportunities available to help them grow and prosper. Every child deserves these opportunities, every girl needs to know that she herself is a beacon of hope and has the power to influence her future,” she said.

“He has so much respect for me that whenever I called him, he never said that I cannot come. ‘Sachin ek aise ped ki tarah hain jis par phal hai aur woh jhukta hi jaa raha hai’. (As he is growing in life, Sachin is becoming more and more humble),” said the singer at the music launch of Mai Tuesday.

Asha Bhosle

Directed by debutant Mahesh Kodiyal, Mai tells the story of a woman abandoned by her only son. Padmini Kolhapure, Ram Kapoor, Navin Kaushik and Shivani Joshi join Asha in the cast of the movie.

Vidhu Vinod, Chopra Sharman Joshi, Raju Hirani

At the launch of the song Maara Re, director Rajesh Mapuskar, dialogue writer Hirani and Sharman revealed that the actor who played the role of Sharman’s son in the movie looked like Sachin Tendulkar in his growing years. “He will appear only after the film is released,” added Vinod.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Raju Hirani

Rajesh started off as Rajkumar Hirani’s assistant director in Lage Raho Munna Bhai and 3 Idiots. Over a couple of drinking sessions, Raju promised to write the dialogues for his directorial film. And that is how they ended up working together for Ferrari Ki Sawaari.

Bhushan Kumar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Sharman Joshi, Raju Hirani

Raju said, “I ended up spending six months on it,” to which Vinod jokingly replied, “I thought you did it for the love of your assistant!”

Ferrari Ki Sawaari also stars Boman Irani and has an item number by Vidya Balan. It is slated to release on 15 June.

Maara Re: Ferrari Ki Sawaari

Aamir Khan, the only Indian actor on the list, has been described by TIME as “a handsome, likable star from a family of film producers” and further praises him for “successfully reinvented himself as a producer, encouraging out-of-the-box movies.” It also mentions his and Bollywood’s biggest hit, 3 Idiots and his critically acclaimed production, Peepli Live. The winner will be included in the TIME 100. Last checked, Aamir was on the 57th position on the list with 1182 votes in his favour. Surprisingly, Aamir is ranked higher than Sonia Gandhi, UPA Chairperson, and Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries. Also in the list are some very well known personalities like Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Julian Assange, Hu Jintao and many more.

Aamir, known as the Perfectionist in Bollywood, had even taken up social causes to improve the lives of others. He had promoted the plight of the Chanderi weavers during the publicity of his film ‘3 Idiots’ in 2009. He is also backing social activist Anna Hazare’s campaign of ‘India Against Corruption’ and the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Last year Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Manmohan Singh and Chetan Bhagat had made it to the 2010 Time 100 most influential people poll.

You can vote for Aamir Khan here. Voting closes on April 14.

Katrina Kaif
The Anglo-Indian girl who made it big in Bollywood is a true Cancerian. Coming from a broken family, Katrina Kaif did not let her language barrier get in the way and is one of the most coveted actresses in Bollywood today. And though the pretty lass might have had her ups and downs in her personal life, she has never let it affect her performance on screen. For those who thought that she can only be the arm-candy on to the hero, she silenced her critics with her performance in Raajneeti and can still wow us with Sheila ki jawaani.

Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra may have come from the world of modelling but she made sure she used it to her best. A true Cancerian, she is very attached to her family and loves spending time with them. She is loyal to her family and friends and never badmouths a movie though it may not have been very successful at the box-office. Her sensitive and loyal nature makes her a favourite with many of her directors. The multi-talented actress can do 12 different roles in a film (What’s Your Raashee?) or 7 avatars in a film (7 Khoon Maaf) with elan.

More on Cancerians: Those born under the sign of Cancer, ruled by the mysterious Moon, are one of the zodiac’s enigmas. Compassionate and caring with friends, family and lovers, yet they can cut to the bone with their jealous remarks and ever-changing moods.Life doesn’t stand still for this sign, even if they remain in one place, because they live so much in their internal oceans of emotions. Love and romance matter more than anything else to this sign though no sign takes it so badly when romance turns sour either. But with their changeable natures Cancerians are fascinating, mysterious, stimulating and extremely alluring.

Harbhajan Singh
India’s most successful offspin bowler might not watch his mouth on the field, but his bowling does all the talking. His whiplash action might leave many sceptical but his performance is still top. He takes rivalries personally and you only need to see him steamroll his opponents to believe that. Harbhajan is best as a friend, worst as an enemy.

Sourav Ganguly
He may not be in the team any longer and his exclusion may have upset many, but no one can deny that Sourav Ganguly was India’s most successful Test captain. The Indian captain who removed his shirt at Lords in 2002, made a formidable team of talented youngsters. Teamed with Sachin Tendulkar, they formed one of the most destructive opening pairs in history.

Sachin Tendulkar
Indian cricket’s Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar, born on April 24, is a Taurean known for his quiet strength and determination that inspires others. In over the three decades of cricket that Sachin has played for India, the master blaster has never once courted controversy. Even though there was some sign of trouble, he handled the situation with extreme determination and strength of will. No wonder, we all expect miracles from him every single time. Including today (March 30^th, 2011) when Indian plays arch-rivals Pakistan in the semifinal of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

More on Taurus: It’s the Bull that serves as the Taurus’s mascot, and along with that comes the expectation that these folks are bull-headed and stubborn. They simply want to get things done, and it’s that steady, dogged persistence that winds up being viewed as stubbornness. Bulls are actually among the most practical and reliable members of the zodiac. At the end of the day, however, they are true romantics and loyal to the core.

Madhuri Dixit
She is the Ek-Do-Teen girl and Dhak-Dhak diva who has allured our hearts with her stellar performance in numerous successful films. After 25 years and with 2 kids Madhuri Dixit still captivates the audience every time she is in front of a camera. But few people know that it is the Taurean in Madhuri who has the guts to commit to something that she has one decided. When she was in films, she was always the highest rated and most loved Bollywood heroine. When she got married and had a family, Madhuri took care to consciously keep away from the spotlight so that she could bring up her children.

Penelope Cruz
She is the ultimate diva. With a filmography which spans across continents and many decades, Penelope Cruz has done it all. She has also been passionate about her relationships (another Taurean sign) and has been known for her linking for all the good things of life: luxury, good food and wine.

Anushka Sharma
Anushka Sharma is the girl who got a golden chance to make her debut in a Yash Raj Film, and that too opposite Shah Rukh Khan! This Taurean is an industrious girl who made it big in Bollywood on the basis of her talent only.

Shah Rukh Khan has declared a screening of the India vs. Pakistan match at his house, Mannat, on 30th March, and Aamir Khan has also called friends over for a party with the match on. While SRK is grouping up with his filmy friends, namely Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, for the cricket world cup match, Aamir will be sticking to close family and friends, including newly-wed nephew Imran Khan. In fact, workaholic Aamir has even taken the day off from shooting for Reema Kagti’s Zakhmi, and will also be playing truant from the shoot for the finals on 2nd April.

Is this just a friendly cricket-get-together or a show of strength? Hope they all enjoy the match!

Akshay Kumar was the first to auction the offer of having breakfast with him. The action star tweeted the offer “Hey! Hope everyone who is bidding for breakfast with ME is feeling hungry, not many days left to bid… So dig deep into your pockets, I promise I’ll feed your stomachs well.” The last time we checked, the bid had crossed Rs. 4 lakhs! No wonder that the actor later apologized to his fans who wouldn’t be able to afford dining with him, “I just wanna say I’m sorry to all those who would like to have breakfast with me but can’t afford it. But please understand it’s for charity…”

Amitabh Bachchan, too followed suit, and is now part of the online charity auction on ebay. The highest bidder will get a chance to have lunch/breakfast with the star and spend some time with them. Salman Khan has offered a private training session with him in his gym and even some fitness tips for the Joy of Giving Week.

The amount received from the auction will be donated to a charitable organization. Sachin Tendulkar, Adi Godrej and Anurag Kashyap have also contributed to the cause.

Take a guess about whose laughter in the comic scenes in the film reverberated the loudest in the preview theatre. It was the cricketing sensation’s! Anjali Tendulkar told Aamir, “We enjoyed the film thoroughly. In fact, Sachin was laughing the loudest throughout.” Aamir, who was waiting in the lounge area of the trial hall all through the show, couldn’t help smiling.

- By Koimoi.com Team