The famed Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore and her daughter Soha Ali Khan, also a rising star, attended a luncheon last Sunday hosted by Raj and Nalini Sharma, trustees of the American India Foundation (AIF). They had come to Boston to discuss the role of Indian films at a Harvard event organized by Sugata Bose.  Since both the actresses are active in the non-profit world, they were invited to lunch as a meet and greet between the actresses and active members of AIF such as Saluni Fadia, the chair of this year’s annual fundraising gala.

The afternoon began with a conversation about AIF’s work, especially focusing on its work with children in its signature programs such as Digital Equalizer, which supplies schools with technology infrastructure to bridge the digital divide in India. Afterwards, Sharmila Tagore spoke about her work in development as a UNICEF ambassador and Soha Ali Khan spoke about her own interest in NGOs and about the role of films in promoting social change. The discussion then moved to the work of NGOs in India over lunch, which was provided by Mary Sen of Tantric India Bistro.

AIF’s mission of promoting social and economic change aligns well with the actresses’ interest in social progress, particularly for children and is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year. The Boston chapter’s signature fundraising event is the annual gala in the fall, and it also has an upcoming kite-flying event, Reach for the Sky, at Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor on Saturday, June 11, 2011. For more information about AIF, visit http://aifoundation.org, or for the event, visit http://www.aifyoungprofessionals.org/boston/?p=263.

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