The Jawaharlal Nehru University is a highly ranked university located in New Delhi. The historically communist university known for its arts programs has often been in the limelight of various controversies since its founding in 1969. Named after the first Prime Minister of a free India, the university has been witness to lockdowns, bans on student elections, sedition rows and a number of protests amongst other events. The most recent of these events took place on January 5th, 2020.
On that day, students and faculty members of the University were brutally beaten up by masked goons who were alleged to be from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the rightist student wing of the Hindu nationalist organization known as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh who are affiliated with the current government of the Bharatiya Janta Party. According to witnesses, the perpetrators used rods, sticks and acid to injure an unknown number of individuals, almost 40 of whom had to be admitted in hospitals. Statements have been made alleging that the police present in the vicinity turned a blind eye to the action. While no group claimed responsibility for the attacks, it is assumed that the attack was carried out in response to the numerous protests by university students against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens.
During the aftermath of the event, ongoing protests grew in numbers across the country with many demonstrating support for the victims of the attack. During a march in JNU in response to the attack, one of the most successful actresses in the Indian film industry, Deepika Padukone made an appearance alongside hundreds. She stood in silence next to the protesters showing her support for them. Bollywood is notorious for its lack of participation in political matters and even though during the past month, actors including Farhan Akhtar, Twinkle Khanna and Jim Sarbh have spoken against the CAA and the NRC, this was a turning point with regard to Bollywood in politics. A number of known celebrities including Bhumi Pednekar, Sonakshi Sinha and Anurag Kahsyap followed her footsteps and spoke against the attack and by extension, the CAA and NRC.
While it was indeed a shock to many that she attended the protest, she did so two days before the release of her film ‘Chapaak’: a movie primarily produced by Padukone herself and inspired by the life of Laxmi Agarwal, an acid attack victim. Her presence at the event was met with a large boycott of the film. Many shared images of cancelling their tickets to the movie while the boycotters promoted another movie, Tanhaji, a period-drama based on a Marathi military leader. The BJP went as far as cutting taxes on tickets and running free shows of the movie to promote it. A few weeks after these events have taken place, Chapaak has largely failed commercially in comparison to Tanhaji. The failure of it can indeed be attributed to Padukone’s presence in JNU. It is certain that her appearance influenced many, however it also established a clear reason for Bollywood’s lack of involvement in political matters.
While some might say that it was irrational of Padukone to attend a political event given the circumstances of that week, she led the way for many to follow. India is in turmoil with demonstrations taking places across every state. People are standing up in numbers against the CAA and NRC along which there are additional protests opposing brutality against students, Kashmir, internet shutdowns and many other issues. With thousands on the street, the support of a celebrity like Deepika Padukone, not just on social media but at ground zero of the attack went a long way in motivating more to speak. While the decision was met with a commercial failure on the big screen for her, she became the first major political voice of Bollywood in recent years and even though some have spoken, many continue to remain silent. While the few who raised their voice must be appreciated, the question remains: when will Bollywood wake up?
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