In a thought-provoking interview on senior advocate Kapil Sibal’s YouTube channel Dil Se with Kapil Sibal, lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar discussed the uneasy reality behind the political silence in Bollywood.
Akhtar mentioned that unlike Hollywood celebrities such as Meryl Streep-who criticize their government openly without fear of the consequences.
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The Indian celebrities and filmmakers are silent due to an omnipresent fear of being seen by the government and consequent actions such as income tax raids, Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigations, or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigations.
He mentioned that even if the fear is never real or not, the perception itself is enough to silence dissent.
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Akhtar also said that this fear is not only with the film fraternity; Bollywood celebrities are living in the same social structure as everyone else, but the glamorous profession they are in attracts more attention, thereby increasing their vulnerability.
His understanding of those who prefer to keep their mouths shut is evident-while he is still among the few vocal voices, he comprehends why the majority would prefer to be cautious.
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This honest confession reveals a troubling side of India’s socio-political culture: the narrowing space for free speech, particularly among public individuals.
Akhtar’s statement is a call to reframe Bollywood’s silence not as indifference but as a symptom of a deeper culture of fear, where fear of institutional backlash muzzles even the most privileged voices.
