Bollywood stars rally behind Gen Z protests as support for CJP movement swells
Several actors joined demonstrations in Delhi and Mumbai, while more than 40 film personalities have publicly backed the student-led movement through social media.
A number of Bollywood celebrities have thrown their support behind India's Gen Z-led protests over the alleged NEET paper leak and broader education reforms, lending fresh momentum to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led movement that has spread beyond Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
The wave of support intensified after reports of police action against students during the "Chalo Sansad" march, prompting several actors and filmmakers to publicly back the protesters' demands for accountability and a fairer education system.
Actors Huma Qureshi, Saqib Saleem, Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, Hanumankind, Imran Khan, Ayesha Khan, Kunal Kamra, Swara Bhasker, Abhinav Sharma, Rachit Singh and Brij Bhushan Dubey were among those reported to have joined protests or solidarity marches.
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Shabana Azmi described the gathering as "a peaceful protest" rooted in constitutional values, while Imran Khan said he was participating because "this is the fight for the future of our nation."
Support on social media has been even broader. Among those backing the movement are Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt, Twinkle Khanna, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sara Ali Khan, Varun Dhawan, Sonu Sood, Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia D'Souza, Dia Mirza, Soha Ali Khan, Aditi Rao Hydari, Bhumi Pednekar, Sonakshi Sinha, Diljit Dosanjh, Vir Das, Vishal Dadlani, Pooja Bhatt, Richa Chadha, Chitrangda Singh, Wamiqa Gabbi, Rajkummar Rao, Anupam Kher, Imtiaz Ali, Shoojit Sircar, Dulquer Salmaan, Prajakta Koli, Nimrit Kaur, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Gurfateh Pirzada, Pratibha Ranta, Akasa Singh, Arijit Singh, Anuv Jain, Harsh Gujral, Javed Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, R Madhavan, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Sonam Bajwa, Chinmayi Sripada, Revathy Asha, B Praak and Kamal Haasan. Many urged authorities to listen to students, protect their democratic right to protest and address concerns over alleged examination irregularities.
The protests, led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and backed by activist and scientist Sonam Wangchuk, have evolved into one of India's largest youth-led movements, demanding accountability over repeated examination paper leaks and broader reforms to the country's education system.
