Sonam Kapoor collects Mother Teresa Memorial Award, on behalf of Neerja Bhanot

Mumbai: Actress Sonam Kapoor says kindness is a rarity nowadays and she learnt to be more kind and compassionate from the late Neerja Bhanot. The Mother Teresa Memorial International Awards for Social Justice 2016, which is in its 12th year, invited Sonam to be the guest of honour at the event. [caption id=“attachment_3120334” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sonam Kapoor. News 18 image[/caption] And Sonam collected an award bestowed upon Neerja Bhanot — on behalf of the Bhanot family, who were present on the occasion. “For a 22-year-old girl (referring to Neerja Bhanot) to love, care and show patience is something we all should follow. And not distinguish between Hindu and Muslim or any other religion and save anyone who she could and look at them as human beings is a compassionate thing,” she told reporters at the event. “Today kindness is a very rare commodity and she has taught me to treat everyone with kindness and compassion. And that’s why the Mother Teresa award is so apt,” she said. The 31-year-old actress was happy to join the Bhanot family and receive this award on behalf of the brave-heart PanAm stewardess, whom she essayed in a biopic directed by Ram Madhvani earlier this year.. Neerja’s plot centres on the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi in 1986 and how Bhanot, the flight’s head purser, gave her life to help save passengers and crew on board. According to Sonam, Neerja has been a turning point in her life not because she did a film but because of the person she was. Also read: Sonam Kapoor has won two awards for Neerja so far, but is she the only contender?