Gautami with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Southern actress Gautami meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi; seeks guidance for Life Again. Pictured: Gautami with Prime Minister Narendra ModiPR Handout

South Indian actress Gautami, who launched an NGO called Life Again foundation earlier this year, recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his support and guidance to make International Yoga Day a big success in 2017.

Gautami, who is a cancer survivor, began Life Again to spread awareness on terminal diseases like Cancer, support and sponsor medical treatment/therapies for the needy. Life Again aims to work as a source of inspiration to every individual. The NGO provides motivational tools to teach and train the cancer patients on lifesaving tips from the ancient Yoga and Meditation.

The senior actress visited the residence of Narendra Modi on Friday morning to share the vision and goals for Life Again with him. She says that the Prime Minister was very cordial and listened to her patiently and finally gave her some suggestion on her organisation can make it big with Yoga Day 2017.

The elated Gautami has released a statement to the media, speaking about her experience during her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Here is her letter sent to the media.

 Greetings!!!

I had the wonderful privilege of meeting our Honorable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji, this morning and share with him our vision and goals for Life Again. Shri Modi ji was very kind to invite me to his residence and spend almost half an hour in conversation with me. He listened with keen interest and offered several suggestions that are invaluable support to realizing our dreams. We are eagerly looking forward to his guidance on an event that we are working on to commemorate International Yoga Day in 2017. A Yogathon - on a scale that will make the world look up and take notice of India celebrating her own ancient traditions and history with pride and grandeur.

In frontline activities at Life Again, we are immediately working in areas of health, primarily cancer awareness as I myself am a cancer survivor, and education – a fundamental right of every citizen and my personal passion. Life Again is a foundation launched by myself and a very close knit family of like-minded achievers to pursue our dream of an invigorated and resurgent India. An India that leads from her towns and villages.

This has been a dream of many of our great leaders but never before have we been so perfectly poised to realize it. Over the past two years, our nation has been gifted many new avenues and encouragement for inclusive growth. It is my dream to see my nation as one where my brothers and sisters are content and fulfilled in whichever environment they call home; villages, towns or cities. Where every Indian has equal opportunities of life and living, regardless of how un-urban their choice of home might be. Where we are empowered to make the best choice for ourselves and our loved ones with education, health, employment and day-to-day life decisions.

"One for One, We are there for Everyone". This is our motto at Life Again but it must belong to the world. It is when each of us stands up for another or stands by another, that we will succeed in upholding the ideals of an inclusive and progressive society. This is certainly an ambitious dream but by no means a pipe dream. I believe in my country and my fellow countrymen. We have a strength and resilience that is unrivalled and when these qualities are engaged in a sustainable manner, we will achieve all that we set out to do. A step at a time. The stride of each step will be as great as that of the collective.

We are proud to be Indian today on the global stage and we hold our heads up with dignity. Let us join hands so that the collective strength of our interlinked hands will be more than sufficient to raise up every Indian into the India that is theirs – that is ours. Life Again.

Gautami Tadimalla

28th Oct 2016