MID-DAY (January 8, 2020)

If many B-Town stars lent their support to the Mumbai protests on Monday, several miles away in Delhi, another Bollywood heavyweight — Deepika Padukone — made it known that she stood in solidarity with the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The actor visited the university on Tuesday, two days after a masked mob attacked students and teachers on the campus, provoking nationwide outrage.

The actor dropped in around 6.45 pm and attended the public meeting that was held by a group of students, including Aishe Ghosh, president of the students' union. Former student leader Kanhaiya Kumar was also present.

Padukone, who has been in the capital over the past two days for the promotion of her upcoming film Chhapaak, did not make a media statement but reportedly spoke to a few members of the students' union.

As soon as pictures of Padukone's visit to JNU went viral on Twitter, BJP's Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga called for a boycott of her films. "RT if you will boycott movies of Deepika Padukone for her support to #TukdeTukdeGang and Afzal Gang," wrote Bagga.

Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; May 20, 2019)

She is a familiar face in Bollywood, but that’s not the reason why she’s been in the spotlight lately. Swara Bhasker is on a journey of getting socio-politically educated, and has spent the last month lending her star power to multiple political rallies by Lok Sabha candidates. We recently met the actress at her residence in JNU. “I am so tired after campaigning. I can’t wait to go back to Bollywood now,” said Swara, who has campaigned for six candidates from different political parties. From losing four brand campaigns because of her political ideologies to why she doesn’t want to leave Bollywood for politics yet, Swara talks about her political awakening. Excerpts:

You are a mainstream actress, who has been actively campaigning and for multiple candidates and parties. How did your family, friends from JNU and the industry react to your political awakening?
My friends in the industry are poking fun at me, saying, ‘Oh, you have become a neta’. But they are not surprised. In fact, they think this is my natural habitat. Huma (Qureshi) is very convinced that this is where I should be headed. Himanshu (Sharma), who joined me in Sikar, has advised me not to jump into anything and told me ‘Beta, ye sher ki sawari hai’! My friends from JNU are picking holes in my arguments (laughs!). They think that I am being too much of a ‘strategist’. My dad is pretty chilled out but my mom keeps asking me if I am sure about heading down this path.

But is this something that you want to do full-time in future?
It is very tiring. Campaigning is still a glamorous part of it. The real grit and grime is the daily work of dealing with what is happening in your constituency. I don’t know if I am in that zone. I know for sure that if I decide to do this, then I can’t do films. I can’t be a politician who only shows up at the constituency around elections. I like acting and I am also producing a film. I campaigned because in these elections, the stakes are high, after the things that have happened in our country. Whether it is mob violence, killings over beef, or just the general violence that has seeped into our lives and vocabulary. But Pragya Thakur really got me. I was like, ‘If this is it then we should really be involved’. Initially, I was campaigning for Kanhaiya Kumar because I thought he should be in the Parliament, but when the Pragya incident happened, I wanted to go places where I could speak to people. As a citizen, I also want to have a better idea of how elections are conducted. It has been a huge learning experience for me, but I am eagerly waiting to get back to Bollywood now.

How do you think your campaigning helps a candidate? How did the audience react to a fresh face?
I knew that people were calling me because I am a heroine. As soon as I learnt that I would be campaigning, I went and bought 20 saris and got my wardrobe sorted. Maine blouse silva liye, jewellery leli and curated my look. I used to blow dry my hair in morning, put on my hair extensions and make-up, and wear my chunky earrings. I knew that the media would come for pictures and interviews, which in turn could be used as a platform to talk about issues that matter. For the public, it’s not a politician joh white kurta and jacket mein aa raha hai, they see a young person with colourful clothes. Even if they haven’t seen my films, they know that they’ve seen my face somewhere. It kind of helps jab aap naare laga rahe ho, people get excited to shake hands. In Bihar, it was a big connect because of Raanjhanaa and Jiya Ho Bihar Ke Lala (the phrase was a part of her speech in Begusarai). A lot of my films have done really well in Bihar. In Rajasthan also, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo did really well and people could place me. Bhopal campaign was also interesting. I did interactions with students and young entrepreneurs and went to mohallas. I am also viewing this as political, sociological education for myself.

We saw Bollywood getting political quite openly in these elections. Is this increased presence in politics a good thing for the political system or a bad thing for Bollywood?
It is always great if people are involved in our democracy. Bollywood has always had stars campaigning for their friends and parties. But this election season, two things have happened for the first time. No other government has used Bollywood like this government has and that has been a clever marketing strategy. It is not Bollywood getting political, it is the political establishment knowing how to use Bollywood very smartly. Whether it’s the interview with Akshay Kumar sir, or it is the selfies, or the film that got made.

The only difference I see in Bollywood is that earlier, actors never got publicly involved in tu-tu main-main about their political ideologies. Whether it is Anupam sir talking about Naseer sir or me commenting to a tweet on Anupam sir or talking about Paresh sir because he said something. Raveena Tandon ma’am is also very active, Richa (Chadha) is beautifully active. There are then some losers on the fringe of Bollywood who keep trolling me — that had never happened before. It is happening because our society is polarised and has a medium like social media to express that polarisation. Jaise hi country ka mauhal badlega, Bollywood will also settle down.

Like you said, the social media war and commenting on each other’s ideology has not been very elegant, do you think this will lead to a mature democracy or it will politicise the industry more than ever?
The industry is already politicised. You can see in terms of the appointments that are made, whether it is the FTII, the nature and composition of our censor board, or the way national awards are given. Every government puts its set of people in place. I don’t think Bollywood is relevant in the larger political discourse and scenario of our country.

But they have the power to influence voters…
Do we really though? I don’t think Bollywood influences voters who are on the fence, instead, it reaffirms the beliefs of people who are already on a particular side. Maybe, in the south it does. It definitely helps in perception building (of a candidate), so I think over time it does. Par maine suna hai ki 30-40,000 vote kisi actor ke aane se padh jaate hain. Someone told me that an actress was able to swing the votes by 30,000 in Bihar.

Do you think you can do this?
I think I can help the candidates make a stronger case for themselves. Instead of my star power, I can use my credibility because I am classified as a ‘thinking actor’— whatever that means. So, I can add credibility to the candidates. For example, someone like Amraram ji, got a lot more media attention because I campaigned for him (in Sikar), but I have no pretensions about swinging votes.

Were there any professional costs that you had to bear for actively taking part in politics at such an early point in your career?
I lost four brands after campaigning for Kanhaiya Kumar. They said they don’t want political people. I can understand because it’s election season and everyone is hyper. Brands don’t want to invest in someone who might attract anti comments. I am quite clearly for somebody and against somebody, or for a group and against a group. As far as a brand is concerned, everyone is in the market. You don’t want your audience to be divided. Also, I don’t see this as joining politics or leaving Bollywood. I am not taking a ticket and I don’t want a ticket. Even if someone offered me a ticket, I won’t take it.

Did someone offer you a ticket?
Well... no (laughs!). No comments on that. I don’t want a ticket. I am too young. I think I have at least 10-15 years to make that decision. But it would be nice to have some younger people in the Parliament.

A particular scene from Veere Di Wedding has also become political with many referencing to it while urging people to vote. What was your reaction to that?
I was surprised. I was like ek saal ho gaya film ko release hue. They thought that they were being clever, but it was just sexist. I was a little stung by the sexism. It was so crass, so tacky and what struck me was that they seemed like educated people. But, sexism unites everyone across political parties. Auraton ke mudde pe sab unite ho jaate hain gali dene ke liye. Whenever people troll me and it becomes something controversial, I always get this support from other social media groups. Mera bohot simple hai — you can disagree with me and you can hate me, but keep it civil. There is no point to this gaali-galoch.

Swara Bhasker campaigns for Kanhaiya Kumar in Begusarai as he files nomination for Lok Sabha seat
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 9, 2019)

When Kanhaiya Kumar files his nomination papers for the Begusarai Lok Sabha seat today, the CPI candidate will find an ally in Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker. Belonging to the rare breed of actors who are vocal about political and social issues, Bhasker will campaign for the CPI candidate.

Asserting that their shared roots in Jawaharlal Nehru University have little to do with her political stance, she says, "I feel aligned with Kanhaiya's views as a rational and patriotic citizen. He raises issues that concern all Indians - like the threat to the constitutional values, unemployment, rise of mob violence and the need for social justice."

While she acknowledges that it is an unusual way to spend one's birthday, the actor - who turns 31 today - says she is happy to do her bit in shaping the country's future. "If Kanhaiya wins, it will be a victory for Indian democracy."

Bhasker emphasises that a fair election is the only way to have the citizens' voice heard, thereby paving the way for the social change they wish to see. "We are seeing a large scale legitimisation of hate and violence that has never been seen before. At a time like this, silence is complicity. It's important to stand up for our country and constitution. If there is a collateral price to pay, I will do so."

Composer Dub Sharma says nothing wrong in the makers dropping 'Brahmanvad' and 'Manuvad' from Azadi's reworked version in Gully Boy due to narrative constraints
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; February 6, 2019)

In the days since Gully Boy's latest track Azadi dropped online, social media users have pointed out how the makers have presumably played it safe by dropping references to casteism and Brahmanical oppression that the original song bore.

Musician Dub Sharma had created the song in 2016, after Kanhaiya Kumar made the slogan popular during his protest against the 2013 hanging of Afzal Guru at JNU. Sharma's track had lines that went, 'Aazadi...Manuvaad se, Aazadi... Brahmanvaad se', thus reiterating the JNU students' protests against social evils. However, the reworked version featuring Ranveer Singh has relatively tepid lines that go, 'Aazadi bhukhmari (poverty) se, aazadi bhedbhav (discrimination) se.'

Defending the changes made to the track, Sharma says it has been reworked to suit the film's context and has little to do with appeasing the ruling government. "When people watch the film, they will realise that the lyrics are in sync with the character [Singh here] and the hardships that he has gone through. There is nothing wrong in tweaking the song to suit the narrative of a film. This song has nothing to do with any propaganda."

Sharma adds that neither director Zoya Akhtar nor the production house interfered in reimagining the song. "When Ankur Tewari approached me for this song, I asked him whether they would change the tune and he said no. They told me about the sequence, and were happy with what I presented."

The artiste says that in 2016, the track was born from his desire to challenge the powers that be. "My father is a journalist; we have seen the change in the way news is presented. Earlier, there was a balanced approach. But now, bite-sized information is provided and the decision is already given to viewers as to who is anti-national and who isn't. So, the song was my answer to them."

Subhash K Jha (DNA; February 23, 2016)


Bhatt protégé Imran Zahid will play Prasad. He says, “With the ongoing controversy and the students’ ideology being shown in a poor light, it is imperative that the students and their political ideology be put in the correct perspective. It became imperative in today’s times to revive our project, Chandu.”

He likens the story to what current JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar is going though. “We were inspired by Chandrashekhar’s courage to help underprivileged people. I think he was the precursor to Kanhaiya.”

Imran feels strongly for the slain youth leader’s message. “Youth has been a buzzword in India for a couple of decades now. And there’s rarely been a better youth icon than Chandu, who was brutally assassinated in 1997.”

Adds Bhatt, “Chandu certainly had a message not just for his fellow students inside the campus but for the wider civil society. It’s never been a commercial venture for me and all I wanted to revive and communicate that message. Of course, it’s far more relevant now than when we thought of shelving the project.”

Shatrughan Sinha gets fired up about the violence being perpetrated against students in general and Kanhaiya Kumar in particular
Subhash K Jha (DNA; February 20, 2016)


Your tweet on Kanhaiya Kumar has created a hungama...
Didn’t I do the right thing? Why are we labelling the boy seditious without proof? In The Telegraph dated Feb 16, the full text of what he said, has appeared. There is nothing seditious or anti-national about what he has said.

A section of people have pounced on him.
This is really disturbing. We, as a country, should thrive on the principle of diversity in unity. Ekta mein anekta. In a democracy, everyone has the right to an opinion and to freedom of expression. That doesn’t give anyone the right to say anything anti-constitutional. But Kanhaiya, from what I know, said nothing anti-constitutional. If I am wrong, he should be punished according to the laws of our country.

Define anti-national.
That’s the problem. If he is talking about burning down the nation or destroying our constitution he is anti-national. Otherwise, if he has made careless utterances, gusse mein (in anger), josh mein (in enthusiasm), naadani mein (in naivete), bachpana mein (in his immaturity), then we must understand we are dealing with young impressionable minds that often speak before they think.

Do you think the adminstration handled it properly?
It should have been tackled within the campus. Yeh andar ka maamla hai. The Vice Chancellor should have been more prompt and judicious. He should have taken stern action and rusticated the students found to be indulging in anti-national activities. Why were cops called on the campus? That too, so casually with the VC’s permission?

Are you sympathetic towards Kanhaiya because he’s from Bihar?
Bihar is most definitely my weakness and strength. But this is a matter of justice, not regionalism. I’d have spoken up for Kanhaiya Kumar even if he was from some other state. And let me make it very clear that I am not speaking about the other students. Only about Kanhaiya Kumar. I have no idea about what the other students did or said. That’s a law-and-order situation. Under no circumstance, must we allow anyone to incite violence against our nation. That is not acceptable.

Aren’t you afraid of pissing off your party members?
Life is not an ongoing party (laughs). There are times when one needs to stand by the truth. My strength is my honesty. I’ve lived by my principles. To me, politics is not my profession. I’ve come into politics as a mission. I’ll always practise healthy politics. Even in this matter, some vested interests are hellbent upon criticising me for standing up for the boy.

Kanhaiya Kumar was roughed up in the court premises...
It’s wrong. We belong to a nation that preaches non-violence. And we have violence being perpetrated against journalists and students in the premises of the court right under the watchful eyes of our legal custodians. Kanhaiya is a son from an Indian family. He is an Indian. And he says he is proud to be one. Why shouldn’t we believe him?

A lot of people have stopped listening?
If they stop screaming, they will hear the boy’s protests. I will repeat what the boy said, ‘Please maintain peace and do not get carried away by hearsay.’ I don’t believe in any kind of violence. And violence againt the nation? Never! Not in this life. Lekin woh log hamaare bachche hain. It should have been handled on the campus level. So sad that this is happening at the prestigious JNU, which has given us great leaders and statesmen. Pressing sedition charges against students for activism within the campus shows the failure of the administration, not to mention the overzealousness of police action.