Bollywood Khans break silence over the controversial Indian citizenship act 2019?
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MUMBAI - Bollywood Khans asked to break silence over the controversial Indian citizenship act 2019 by Bollywood’s leading directors.
They called on three superstar actors to break their silence about a new citizenship law that has triggered riots in India, saying they could influence millions of fans.
At least 21 people have died since crowds took to the streets enraged by the Hindu nationalist-led government’s legislation, which critics say discriminates against Muslims.
The violence and the political storm raging around it has posed a dilemma for a film industry that is dominated by Muslim actors, directors and crew but caters for India’s broader, predominantly Hindu population.
A handful of figures have spoken out against the law and the violence, some at rallies in Mumbai, the heart of Bollywood. But none of its three leading stars – Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan – have made public statements. All three are Muslim.
“These three actors and their fan following is something else. One word from them can influence millions,” director Anubhav Sinha, a critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, told Reuters.
“I … understand why they may not be able to speak out. I am not angry at them” said Sinha, who directed Shah Rukh Khan in the 2011 film “Ra One”.
