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.
In January 1989, exactly a week after #SafdarHashmi’s death, @AzmiShabana read out a note in protest of Comrade Hashmi’s killing from the stage of the International Film Festival of India in New Delhi. #Sahmat #Janam pic.twitter.com/mWjutDU1h6
— Md Salim (@salimdotcomrade) January 1, 2020
What’s notable is, that the person allegedly involved in the murder was sitting in the audience as Shabana made this statement.
When Bollywood had a SPINE!!!
— Advaid (@Advaidism) January 1, 2020
Jan 10th 1989 : A week after Safdar Hashmi’s death, Shabana Azmi protested his killing on the stage of 12th International Film Festival, while Congress leader HKL Bhagat (accussed in the killing) was sitting in the front row of the audience. https://t.co/GqXWgzrFjt
Remembering #Safdar Hashmi .. pic.twitter.com/MJtWn9V90G
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) January 2, 2020
People can’t help but note that the courage shown by her back then, is missing in stars today.
Fair point that none of the big superstars will say anything today especially in front of the ruling party politicians.
— Sibin (@sibinmohan) January 1, 2020
Serious deficiency in today’s time
— #IndiaRejectsCAA_NRC_NPR (@MuhammadSufiya9) January 1, 2020
I had read a lot about Shabana Azmi’s daring Speech which grilled HKL Bhagat.
— Advaid (@Advaidism) January 1, 2020
Watching the video for the first time, her speech feels more powerful.
As i said, Bollywood once had a Spine. pic.twitter.com/3mN5MFudyl
That was a time when artists were not intimated.
— Citizen Nirbala do pyaza (@Poli_ticklish) January 1, 2020
Simply woww!!
— Neelam Sumbrui (neelamsumbrui@mastodon.social) (@neelamsumbrui) January 2, 2020
It is worth mentioning here, that Shabana has been staunchly against the implementation of the CAA-NRC and has been expressing her views on the internet.
