It’s Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma’s birthday and she welcomed her 30th year with a cosy midnight celebration with husband and Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli.
In a post on social media, Kohli shared a picture of the two with the caption, “Happy B’day my love. The most positive and honest person I know. Love you.”
Happy B’day my love. The most positive and honest person I know. Love you ♥️ pic.twitter.com/WTepj5e4pe
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) May 1, 2018
The background of the picture shows a cake which has “Happy Birthday” written on it along with rose petals.
Kohli and Sharma tied the knot in a secret wedding in December last year in Tuscany, Italy. The wedding was an intimate affair with only close family and friends in attendance. After their brief honeymoon in Europe, Virat and Anushka hosted their first wedding reception in New Delhi on December 21. The star couple hosted their second wedding reception at Mumbai’s St Regis on December 26. The reception saw Bollywood’s whose who in attendance.
Kohli is currently leading Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018.
Meanwhile, to celebrate her birthday, Anushka announced on her social media that she is building an animal shelter on the outskirts of Mumbai.
The actor, who is an animal lover, and has in the past been actively involved in animal welfare, said she always dreamt of doing something to support her “fellow living beings”.
“I’m building an animal shelter just outside Mumbai – a home for those animals that are stranded, left to fend for themselves, have to brave harsh surroundings. A home where they will be cared for, loved, protected and nurtured. This has been my calling for years now and my dream is finally coming true. I will seek your time, support and advice to make this home a place that looks after fellow living beings with utmost care and compassion – all in due course of time,” Anushka wrote.
Sharma urged people to take care of those species who are not as strong as human beings.
“Think about how they live, how they are treated, think about their rights, think if they are treated fairly? And what’s worse, even if they aren’t being treated well, they have no means of doing anything about it and that’s where we have to come in as humans who stand up for all living beings. It is our responsibility. The whole purpose of being the strongest species is to look out for the welfare of all those, not so strong ones around us so that we truly can give back to our great Mother Earth and live harmoniously.”
Anushka said Dalai Lama’s words inspired her to work for the welfare of animals and “make the world a better place for them”.
“I was deeply moved by something His Holiness, The Dalai Lama said and his words have stayed with me since then. It incepted an idea deep within me and has propelled me to act on my thoughts of working for animals and trying to make the world a better place for them.”
“His Holiness had said, ‘Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to a man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures.’ On my birthday, in my own little way, I’m starting something that will give our fellow living beings equal rights, equal care and equal love.”
“This has been my calling for years now and my dream is finally coming true. I will seek your time, support and advice to make this home a place that looks after fellow living beings with utmost care and compassion – all in due course of time,” she concluded.
— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) May 1, 2018
Anushka’s colleagues and friends also took to Twitter to wish the star a very happy birthday.
Happiest bday you beautiful soul! @AnushkaSharma thank you for taking up such an important cause and flying with it. I will be amongst the first people hanging around at the shelter haha. Big big hug! ❤️?
— Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) May 1, 2018
Happy birthday @AnushkaSharma keep smiling and bringing the change. Your truly a hero. Also eat a samosa today lots of love from mauji, Amma and Babuji ??? pic.twitter.com/8Whx1vCYrl
— Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) May 1, 2018