Sarath Kumar, Radikaa Sarathkumar Bollywood actress Vidya Balan and Gandhian Anna Hazare are among the celebrities invited to participate in the India Day Parade organized by Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) in Manhattan on Aug 18. This is the first time, that stars from South India are being invited to be Parade Marshals of the India Day Parade. Sarath Kumar and Radikaa will walk the streets of Madison AvenueIndian Flag along with New York Mayor, Governor, Indian Ambassador, US Congressmen, American politicians and Indian leaders.

The couple will also attend a grand reception hosted by the Indian Consul General Ambassador, Dnyaneshwar Mulay on Aug 20, which also marks the formal launch of America Tamil Sangam - to be headed by noted journalist Prakash M. Swamy. Several top Tamil dignitaries such as Indra Nooyi (CEO of Pepsico), Night Shyamalan (director), Kumari Kamala (dancer) and Sri Srinivasan (Judge of US Appellate Court) are expected to attend the event.

Sarath Kumar and Radhika will also be given the honor of ringing the opening bell at Nasdaq Stock Exchange in Times Square. The couple will also be honoured with an award for their contribution to Indian Cinema. The celebrities who had led the parade in the past years include Amitabh Bachchan, Raj Kapoor, Shahrukh Khan, Dev Anand, Rajender Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, Hema Malini, Madhuri Dixit , A.R. Rahman to name a few. Other non-filmi celebrities who led the parade include astronaut Sunita Williams, Anil Kumble, Vijay Mallya and Pandit Jasraj.

Press release courtesy: Prakash M. Swamy