On Our Girls, Our Pride: Aamir, Priyanka, SRK

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan featured on the NDTV-Vedanta Our Girls Our Pride Telethon on December 1.

SRK says he has been brought up to believe in 'Ladies First.' He says girls look after their parents better and if there is anyone who thinks twice about having a girl child, it is unfortunate.

SRK, who sent us this picture from Dubai where he will be performing at his Temptation Reloaded concert, is sponsoring the education of 125 girls. He also stressed on the need for giving women the weapons of mass education since they were the most underutilised resources in the world.

Bollywood star Aamir Khan kick-started the telethon by sponsoring the education of five girls. Aamir, who highlighted issues like female foeticide on his TV show Satyamev Jayate, told NDTV's Vikram Chandra that mindsets are India's biggest problem today and we need to work on changing them.

Actress Priyanka Chopra, the campaign ambassador, is co-hosting the telethon with NDTV's Vikram Chandra.

Campaign ambassador Priyanka tweeted earlier this morning: So great to wake up n have a purpose..Nothing like a day at work that fulfills that.off to host the @ndtv Our girls Our Pride..watch live

This picture was posted on Twitter by @TeamPriyanka

Actress Anushka Sharma, who hails from an army background, says there is no discrimination against girl in defence families. She says that is what has helped her achieve her current star status.

Student Of The Year actress Alia Bhatt, who donated Rs 2.4 lakhs, said girls need to be allowed to have a mind of their own and that parents are usually wrong!

Bollywood actor Imran Khan said it was imperative that the mindset of men changed towards women. They needed to understand that society cannot function without women.

Student Of The Year actor Varun Dhawan pledged support to 20 girls.

Filmmaker Kunal Kohli, who brought his adopted daughter Radha with him, said his daughter has really changed his life for the better.

Filmmaker Karan Johar, who pledged to support 83 girls, told Priyanka that a lot of women had influenced his life and work and the level of compassion and patience a woman brings is much more than a man is capable of. He added that if he ever adopted, it would be a baby girl.

Tennis ace Sania Mirza confided that when she started her career people were more concerned about what she was wearing than about her game. Her own family members were more worried about her getting tanned and not finding a good husband than about anything else.

Vicky Donor actor Ayushmann Khurrana says that in his home state of Haryana, things have really changed after 2006 after the Right to Education Act. The number of females has increased in classrooms due to better transport facilities. He also recited a heartrending poem Ek Ladki Jo Bachpan Mein Badi Hogi which he had himself composed.

Entrepreneur Shehnaz Hussain stressed on the need for financial independence of women.

The show commenced with lyricist and playback singer Swanand Kirkire's rendition of O re chiriya.

Marketing and management guru Suhel Seth pledged support to 100 girl children and spoke on the importance of women's education.

Singer and actress Raageshwari told Priyanka and Vikram that India, a land that worships goddesses, needs to look inwards to understand and respect the true essence of women.

Vocalist Jonita Gandhi, singer of the title track of Shah Rukh Khan's Chennai Express, crooned the inspiring song Yeh Honsla.

Former athlete Ashwini Nachappa said that we see atrocities against women in influential and educated homes too, and that changing mindsets and attitudes is the only solution, not mere classroom learning.

Indian Idol Junior finalist Debanjana Karmakar crooned the title track of the 2007 movie Taare Zameen Par

Playback singer Shilpa Rao performed Ek Lau Iss Tarah Kyon Bujhi at the Our Girls Our Pride Telethon.

Playback singer Shravani lifted everyone's spirits with her rendition of the song Aashayein from the movie Iqbal.

Palak urges the audience to sing along as she performs Humko Mann ki Shakti Dena. The singer is named in the Limca Book of Records for raising money for social causes, through her singing.

One of the most memorable performances of the Telethon, singer Shaan sings Rabindranath Tagore's composition, Ekla Cholo Re, to inspire people to take up the cause of the girl child.