Karan Patel
Karan PatelKaran Patel/ Instagram

Karan Patel, who is known for his hit TV show "Yeh Hai Mohabbatein", has stepped forward to help underprivileged kids get a better life. The actor will be sponsoring the education of five girls every month and will continue doing so until they graduate from college.

"I did not want to just spend my money on travelling, shopping and partying. I wanted to put my income to good use. When my sister suggested this plan, it seemed apt. It's a good feeling [to help someone]," he told Hindustan Times (Mumbai, Feb. 23)

However, it wasn't a spontaneous act of kindness. Karan had an extensive chat with his sister, who works with an Ahmedabad-based NGO, after which he decided on taking up the cause. "He will sponsor five girls every month, and will spend around "20,000 annually on each of them. He plans to keep adding five girls each month, until he reaches his budget limit," the leading daily quoted an insider as saying.

This generous step takes some of the muck away from his personal life, which has been in the news for quite some time now. Karan and wife Ankita Bhargava's marriage was reported to be in shambles but with a host of open letters shared by concerned parties on social media, the situation has become clearer.

The gossip snowballed when the actor's ex-girlfriend Kamya Punjabi was dragged into the picture and things got worse when she openly criticised Karan's decision to walk away from a relationship.

"I do not want Karan Patel back in my life anytime! The guy who walks out of someone's life suddenly and is seen to be with another woman in just two days is someone who does not deserve to be taken back! Rather no woman would take a similar man back in her life," she told Pinkvilla a few days ago.