As protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over alleged examination irregularities gathered momentum across the country, members of the film fraternity have come out in support of the students, condemning the police action against protesters and backing their demands for education reforms.
The wave of solidarity, which began after police used force against demonstrators during the 'Chalo Sansad' march in Delhi on July 20, has seen actors, filmmakers and writers across industries speak out against the crackdown.
Among the first major Bollywood stars to publicly support the agitation was Salman Khan, who described the movement as "peaceful" and said he was saddened that it had "taken a violent turn". Calling the alleged NEET paper leak "a very serious issue", he praised students for coming together to demand a better education system and urged that the movement should not be politically appropriated.
Alia Bhatt later shared an emotional statement, saying the protests had "broken my heart and then mended it again with hope". She said the students represented not only themselves but also the dreams and sacrifices of their families, adding that their courage was "a mirror held up to all of us". "For the students. By the students. The future is theirs," she wrote.
Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah also issued a strongly worded video message condemning the alleged use of force against students. Expressing solidarity with the protesters, he said his "blood boils" on seeing young people being beaten and urged them not to lose hope, adding that "many people sympathise with you". He also warned the government that "sab yaad rakha jayega" (everything will be remembered).
Hours later, his wife and actor Ratna Pathak Shah apologised to students on behalf of her generation, saying they had failed to stop the situation from deteriorating. Drawing parallels with the story of Ekalavya, she questioned whether students were being asked to sacrifice their futures to protect political power and assured them that her generation would stand with them.
Rajya Sabha MP and actor Kamal Haasan also voiced support for the protesters, saying the country had failed its youth by responding with "barricades and batons instead of answers". Calling the education system "rotten", he criticised one where "coaching replaces learning, anxiety replaces curiosity, and criminality replaces merit". He also urged activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike and told students, "You have done your duty. It is now time for the country to do its duty by you."
Sonakshi Sinha condemned the violence against student protesters, sharing images of those injured during the demonstrations. Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas said "the right to dissent is not a threat to democracy" and questioned why peaceful protesters had been subjected to force. He argued that suppressing students' voices amounted to suppressing the country's future.
Tamil filmmaker Pa Ranjith called the crackdown an attempt to avoid accountability, saying the government was responding to legitimate democratic questions with violence instead of answers. Director Tharun Bhascker also stressed that systems meant to serve people must be held accountable when they fail.
Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu criticised the detention of opposition leaders during the protests, while Dia Mirza said the events had exposed troubling truths about the treatment of peaceful demonstrators. Revathy Asha urged the government to engage in dialogue because "children's future deserves nothing less".
Some members of the industry also joined protests on the ground. Actor Imran Khan participated in a student protest in Mumbai's Dadar, saying violence had "absolutely no place in civil public discourse". A day earlier, he had shared an emotional Instagram post questioning how students demanding accountability could be met with tear gas and police force.
Actor Huma Qureshi and her brother Saqib Saleem visited the protest site at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in the early hours of Thursday, July 22 to express solidarity with students. Prakash Raj and Shabana Azmi participated in the CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' march in Delhi, with Prakash Raj addressing protesters while holding a copy of the Constitution.
Actor Ayesha Khan alleged she was detained by Mumbai Police before she could participate in a protest in Dadar. She and others were forcibly taken into custody despite not having begun demonstrating, she said in a social media post. She later questioned why they had been detained without explanation.
In Kerala, hundreds of students, writers, filmmakers and actors gathered at Maharaja's College in Kochi to express solidarity with the protesters in Delhi. Writers NS Madhavan and KR Meera, actors Joju George, Gouri G Kishan and Sheetal Shyam, filmmakers Mahesh Narayanan and Aashiq Abu, among others, attended the event, reiterating demands for education reforms and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Actor Kishore also joined a protest at Bengaluru's Freedom Park, saying students peacefully seeking reforms embodied the true spirit of democracy and urging them to continue their struggle for justice.
The protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar began earlier this month over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET paper leak. Students have demanded sweeping reforms in the education system, accountability for alleged lapses and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The agitation intensified after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest with a hunger strike and police used force during the 'Chalo Sansad' march earlier this week.