Bollywood filmmakers are smitten by the charitable initiatives of billionaire philanthropist and Dubai-based NRI Surinder Pal Singh Oberoi, who donates 98 per cent of his earnings to ensure the downtrodden lead a decent life.
Mahesh Bhatt is directing a 2 hour 40 minute biopic on the life and times of the businessman. Ajay Devgun will be playing Oberoi which is being produced by Paramount Studios. The screenplay is being written by Filmfare award winner Ritesh Shah, who has also written the screenplay of Kahani, Pink, Airlift and Raid.
Shooting is scheduled to commence next month. Before the movie hits the OTT platforms and theatres, Netflix is screening a 50 minute documentary titled ‘Pehchan’ on September 7 on how Oberoi made it big after he left home in his youth with just Rs 350 in his pocket.
Dr. Surinder Pal Singh Oberoi (SP Singh Oberoi) is a Dubai-based business tycoon and a globally recognized philanthropist. He is popularly known as ‘Savior Singh’ for saving the lives of hundreds of Indians, Pakistanis, and Filipinos from death penalties.
He came to Dubai in 1977 as a mechanic, returned to India after 4 years to start his material supply & Construction Company in Punjab, Indianamed “Pritam Singh & Sons”.
He shifted to Dubai in 1993 & started his own General Trading CompanyApex Emirates General Trading L.L.C, in 1996 Apex International Construction, In 1998 Dubai Grand Hotel & in 2004 Oberoi Properties & Investments LLC.
According to Leader Biography, a publication that presents collection of autobiographies of great leaders, “S P Singh’s life completely changed after the 2010 incident in Sharjah, UAE, where 17 Indians were given the death penalty for a group fight that led to the death of a Pakistani man. Unable to accept the idea of 17 people being hanged for a single person’s death, he fought their case and won, but had to cough up $2.2 million from his pocket.
After this experience, he decided to donate 98 percent of his income to social welfare and formed the ‘Sarbat Da Bhala Charitable Trust’ in 2011. It assists in rescuing girls from the Gulf region, bringing dead bodies home, and helping specially-abled children, women, and underprivileged people by educating and providing financial support to them. The trust runs 26 welfare projects, all funded by Mr. Oberoi. S P Singh also runs training centers in low-income regions for stitching, electronics, beautician,s, and computer courses.”
