With the COVID-19 pandemic, several people got stranded at different places and are longing to return to their hometown. While the Indian government has started taking action to evacuate Indians, Mollywood's Megastar Mammootty is spearheading a massive relief effort to provide free air tickets to the returnees who are in distress and cash-strapped.

The actor who is also the Chairman of Kairali TV will provide 1000 free flight tickets of Air India to the most deprived and stranded expatriates from Kerala in the first phase of the mission.

Kairali TV's managing director John Brittas was quoted by Khaleej Times, "We are exploring the possibility of launching chartered flights to evacuate hundreds of such expatriates in distress to Kerala from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. For this operation, special permissions have to be obtained from government authorities in India and their counterparts in the GCC states."

"A screening panel, comprising prominent non-resident patrons, has been constituted under megastar Mammootty, who is the chief patron of this mission, to ensure that only those who are in dire straits would be provided with this one-way ticket costing around Rs15,000," he added.

In the second phase of the mission, titled "Kairali joining hands for expats", 100 more eligible expatriates will be provided with flight tickets. Mammootty has appointed a screening panel for the same. John Brittas said that several businessmen and firms in the GCC and India have also come forward, pledging their support by paying for the tickets.