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Dear As you know, on the 28 October a cyclone hit this north eastern state in India. Winds of 150 miles per hour and tidal waves over 10 feet high swept away many coastal towns, cities, and villages - leaving over 10,000 dead, 2.3 million homeless; over 15 million people without safe drinking water and adequate health care. The government of India, the State government of Orissa, the Indian army, many Indian and international NGOs are trying to help. Some of us decided to form a committee to raise funds for the Orissa cyclone relief, to help the people of Orissa to rebuild their lives. We have organized a premiere of the film, Cotton Mary (dir. Ismail Merchant) at Plaza, Lower Regent Street, London, on Friday 17, December 1999, at 8:30 p.m. Ticket prices are: £500/-£100/-£50/-£25 All funds raised will go to the disaster emergency Committee's India Cyclone Appeal, launched by Joanna Lumley. Although the DEC has already raised £4.3 million, only a month after the cyclone, media attention has completely died away and the funds coming in have rapidly slowed down. In India the nightmare for millions continues. We have joined together in an effort to sustain a focus on this disaster and to raise more desperately needed funds. Cheques should be made payable to DEC India Cyclone Appeal and sent to the above address or handed over personally to any Committee member. With many thanks for all your help and support. Yours sincerely Ismail Merchant
29th December,1999 PRESS RELEASE On the 29th October a devastating cyclone hit the Indian coastal state of Orissa. The litany of death and destruction was endless. On the 7th November, Ismail Merchant formed a committee to raise much needed funds for the Orissa Cyclone Relief. A premiere of his film Cotton Mary was planned. The committee decided to join the DEC India Cyclone Appeal and to revive the focus on the Orissa tragedy. Simon Jenkins' hard-hitting article in the Times (Friday 26th November) and Michael Bond's piece in the Telegraph (Thursday 16th December) were very effective in reviving the appeal. As a result the appeal, which was slowing down at £2.5m. on the 17th November, stood at £6.5m on 17th December, the night of the premiere. The premiere raised £50,000 in one night. Ismail Merchant will be traveling to Orissa in February to monitor and assess how the funds are being spent. Thank you for your support (For further information, please contact Ben Spencer at MIP Ltd.)
Committee Shabana Azmi, Simon Callow, Lord Dholakia, Marchioness of Douro, James Fox, Premeshwar Godrej, Hugh Grant, Neena Gupta, Susan Guttfreund, Premila Hoon, Gayle Hunnicutt, Elizabeth Hurley, Kazuo Ishiguro, James Ivory, Madhur Jaffrey, Simon Jenkins, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Shashi Kapoor, Felicity Kendal, Pinky Lilani, Karuna Loomba, Joanna Lumley, Richard Macrory, Ismail Merchant, Jeanne Moreau, Earl of Pembroke, Vannesa Redgrave, Nasreen Rehman, Richard Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Lord Snowdon, Tom Stoppard, Emma Thompson, Lady Weinberg, James Wilby
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