MUMBAI: Hungama, India’s leading digital entertainment company, has partnered with Ghazal maestro Padmashree Pankaj Udhas to live stream The Ghazal Symphony, an online musical concert. The concert is the annual fundraiser of the Parent’s Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT) that works to raise funds for treatment of children suffering from Thalassemia. In light of the current norms on physical distancing, the concert is being organized online this year and will be live-streamed on Saturday, 21st November 2020 at 8.30 PM on Hungama Music and Hungama Play. This is in addition to the Facebook pages of Hungama Music, Bollywood Hungama and Hungama Artist Aloud. Besides this, the concert will also be available to live-stream on Hungama’s extended partner network. The Ghazal Symphony is scored by Deepak Pandit and produced by Perfect Harmony Productions.

Viewers can watch the concert for free and will get a chance to donate through ketto.org, while watching the concert. All donations can be made by visiting https://bit.ly/36iEYVD or using the UPI ID/ scanning a QR code that will be visible on the screen during the concert. All proceeds from the concert will go to the charity to help with the treatment of thalassemic children.  

Talking about the concert, Neeraj Roy, Founder & CEO, Hungama Digital Media said, “It is always a pleasure to work with Pankaj ji, one of the finest musicians in India. The Ghazal Symphony is even more special because of the cause it represents. We are honoured to be a part of a cause as noble as this and are certain that the viewers will not just enjoy Pankaj ji’s soulful music but also lend their support to the fundraising activity.”

Speaking about The Ghazal Symphony, Pankaj Udhas said, “Music has the magical quality to bring people together. Over the past few years, we have been actively working towards increasing awareness on Thalassemia and raising funds to treat affected children. We are pleased to have the support of Hungama and Ketto this year. The digital medium has become all the more important in the age of physical distancing and we are certain of delivering our message to an even wider audience.”

Commenting on the fundraiser, Kunal Kapoor Actor & Co-founder Ketto.org said, “As compared to other nations, India has the highest number of children with Thalassemia Major. Over 10-15 thousand Thalassemic children are born every year and bone marrow transplant is the only cure available for these children. However, the bone marrow transplant is very expensive and parents with low-income backgrounds are unable to afford this treatment. At Ketto, we are continuously working to bridge the healthcare affordability gap. We are pleased to be associated with Hungama and Pankaj ji to increase awareness of Thalassemia Major and raise funds for this noble cause.”

In addition to Hungama’s own platforms, The Ghazal Symphony will also be available to stream through Hungama Play on MX Player, smart TVs like OnePlus, TCL, CloudWalker, CVTE, HiSense and Sony BRAVIA, along with ZEASN enabled services. Additionally, Hungama’s association with Xiaomi will enable consumers to watch the concert via Hungama Play on Mi TV. Viewers can also stream the concert on Pankaj Udhas’ Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Thalassaemia is purely a genetic disorder that affects the most vital tissue of the body – blood. It is passed on through parents who carry abnormal thalassaemia genes in their cells. Children born with Thalassaemia Major need blood transfusions every 20 days to survive. Every year 10,000 children with Thalassaemia Major are born in India, which constitutes 10% of the total number in the world and one out of every 8 carriers of Thalassaemia worldwide lives in India. On an average, 3.5 % of the population is a carrier of either Thalassaemia Minor or Major.

PATUT has established centres for spreading awareness, detection, counselling and prevention of Thalassaemia at Thane, Nashik and Narayangaon.  PATUT has collected nearly 2,50,000 + blood samples at the blood screening camps held in schools, ashramshalas, colleges, police establishments, community centers and processed at its own centers. The organization’s future aspirations are to work towards eradicating this blood disorder altogether in Maharashtra by 2022.