Amid the growing dissent against the CAA and NRC, there has also been a discussion around people from the entertainment industry not coming out and using their voices.
Because while there have been people like Swara Bhasker and Anurag Kashyap being very clear in their stand, the same cannot be said for everyone.
The state of affairs right now reminded people of the time when ‘Bollywood had a spine’, after this video of Shabana Azmi from 1989 surfaced on the internet.
On the stage of International Film Festival in New Delhi, Shabana said:
We filmmakers and film lovers wish to register our protest against the system that, on one hand, claims to promote creativity and on the other connive in the murder of a cultural activist.
She was talking about Safdar Hashmi – a communist playwright and director – who was murdered in broad daylight.
What’s notable is, that the person allegedly involved in the murder was sitting in the audience as Shabana made this statement.
People can’t help but note that the courage shown by her back then, is missing in stars today.