Vir Das questions Indian artistes' 'hypocrisy' in not supporting students 'and then trying to sell them tickets later'
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Comedian and star Vir Das has joined a growing number of Indian celebrities throwing their weight behind the ongoing student protests in Delhi. A large number of Indian youths are protesting against the alleged irregularities in the Indian education system, including paper leaks, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan . On Tuesday, Vir Das took to X to question Indian artistes’ silence on the matter.
Adding to this, Vir Das shared his two cents on the CJP protests. Vir Das questions artistes’ silence on student protests On Tuesday morning, Vir took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “If you’re an Indian live artist. I hope you understand the sheer hypocrisy of not speaking up for young people, and then trying to sell them tickets later. The sheer luxury of being a silent viewer to what an Indian crowd cares about, and then expecting an Indian crowd to be loud and vocal and care about you. Apna apna dekh lo, lekin mere liye pahunch jaana. Doesn’t work. The concert economy in India is built on young people gathering in support. I get that ‘you’re not political’ which is subtext for ‘I’m really comfortable’. I always look at those statements and think, do you buddy. But today humbly, I’d submit to you that this issue isn’t political or partisan anymore. It’s just about the youth now. And you can support them by platforming what they care about. Beyond that, you do you.” The tweet was later deleted but the star and comedian interacted with many who responded to it.
Meanwhile, Later in the day, Vir posted another tweet, a veiled dig at Dhurandhar films, mocking the administrative response to the protest. “Can’t wait for the movie about this week in ten years where bro is embedded into the world of youth protesters to save the nation from a deep state nexus of anti-national NEET giving naxals. Infact the only reason the paper was leaked was to throw them off. It wasn’t incompetence or corruption, it was counter intelligence,” he added.
Notably, According to Delhi officials, during Monday’s protest by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in the New Delhi area, the protesters displayed unruly, aggressive, and violent behaviour. Despite repeated warnings and lawful directions issued by the police, they refused to disperse and deliberately violated the prohibitory orders in force. The protestors, however, claim that Delhi Police personnel targeted them indiscriminately, leading to several injuries on their side as well.
As per the latest buzz, The CJP-led protests have been ongoing for over two weeks amid allegations of irregularities in the education sector, particularly the alleged leaks of NEET exams. Social activist Sonam Wangchuck also joined the protest earlier this month, starting a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.
In further updates, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das shared they placed three demands before Nadda, including the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and compensation of ₹ 1 crore rupees to the families of the NEET aspirants, "more than 20 of whom have lost their lives". He shared activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is in a hospital, should be "rolled out immediately". Saurav shared that the protest will continue till Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.
On top of that, Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Movie Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times