Hours after actress Alia Bhatt displayed immense courage to express solidarity with the victims of the JNU terror attack, her contemporary Deepika Padukone has left everyone awestruck by arriving at the campus of one of India’s prestigious educational institutions in Delhi. Her decision to meet the victims of the recent brutality allegedly committed by the ABVP members has earned her plaudits from everyone on social media.
Deepika stunned everyone by arriving at the JNU campus, where she met the protesting students including the JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, who had sustained serious injuries after a group of masked criminals carried out large-scale carnage on Sunday night.
Earlier, speaking to a TV channel, Deepika said that the recent goings-on had left her angry. She told the Aaj Tak TV channel, “I hope that this doesn’t become a new normal that anyone can get away with doing anything. It frightens and pains me. This was not the foundation of our country.”
Deepika added that she felt angry that ‘this is happening and that action is not being taken.’
Journalists and social media users are hailing her for showing some spine even when top Bollywood names such as Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and the famous Khans have chosen to remain silent.
For me @deepikapadukone is truly a hero. Amazing to see her show spine when bigger Bollywood names have turned out to be cowards. Salute to you lady! #JNUTerrorAttack pic.twitter.com/AhwBbQohIc
— Rifat Jawaid (@RifatJawaid) January 7, 2020
It takes guts to do this two days before the release of a high stake, important film. https://t.co/ee76wyexuw
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) January 7, 2020
My hero…#DeepikaPadukone standing next to #AisheGhosh …#LongliveJNU https://t.co/XkG2Gh3S9h
— Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) January 7, 2020
Kudos @deepikapadukone for showing spine and compassion and showing up in solidarity with JNU students who are victims of violence and mob attacks. pic.twitter.com/HRxDK0qHQ3
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) January 7, 2020
Earlier, Alia Bhatt had taken to Instagram to break her silence on the recent violence on the JNU campus. She had written, “Everyday is disturbing. What’s going on???????” In her subsequent post, Alia had said that it was time to ‘strongly oppose any ideology that seeks to divide, oppress and promote violence.’ She had said, “When students, teachers and peaceful civilians become victims of physical assault on an ongoing basis, it is time to stop pretending that all is fine.
The action by two of the biggest Bollywood actresses have come in sharp contrast with the silence maintained by bigger names from Bollywood such as Amitabh Bachchan, who has refused to break his silence on the recent police brutality inside the campus of Jamia Millia Islamia University and the Aligarh Muslim University. In a cryptic tweet, he had justified his silence. This has made him a target of incessant attacks from social media users and members from his own fraternity.
On the professional front, Deepika’s next film Chhapak is due for release.
