Would it be fair to say that older prejudices with regard to community and race are being reinforced in newer ways? As a citizen of a free, democratic country, Padukone is well within her rights to take a stand on issues concerning India. When the Bollywood A-lister, Deepika Padukone, decided to visit JNU, she knew she would become the target of hateful comments, even though she did not say anything herself. Unsurprisingly, after Padukone visited JNU, there were calls from BJP trolls and spokespersons to boycott her film, Chhapaak. One hopes that her decision to stand in solidarity with JNU students will provide courage to the male superstars of Bollywood to speak up.

Source: The Telegraph January 15, 2020 22:30 UTC