Javed Akhtar Sparks Debate on Bollywood’s Silence vs. Hollywood’s Courage
Javed Akhtar, veteran writer and lyricist, has earned his fair share of enemies in the industry, and he has reignited the debate about Bollywood’s leading actors’ refusal to openly disagree with the central government. Akhtar made the association even sharper by comparing Bollywood’s reluctance with that of Hollywood star Meryl Streep, noting that the freedom to criticise the powerful is not something celebrities in the West are afforded in India.
“Meryl Streep made a statement, but she wasn’t raided by the income tax department,”
— Akhtar noted in an interview with Kapil Sibal’s YouTube show.
The quote refers to Streep’s 2017 Golden Globes speech where she called out Donald Trump for mocking a disabled reporter, without concern for repercussions from the institutions of power.
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A Culture Of Silence Wrought From Fear?
Akhtar went on to note that the “absence of dissent in Bollywood” does not come from the industry itself; rather, it has ancestries in a general sense of fear in society.
“If someone is afraid of the ED (Enforcement Directorate), fear the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), fear income tax – How do you expect them to speak?”
While avoiding directly assigning blame, the writer of Sholay and Zanjeer pointed to a growing perception that criticism may lead to scrutiny. Although it may not be loyalty, it has been made clear that fear is enough to silence voices in entertainment.
Meryl Streep vs. The Vanished Indian Dissent
In May 2017, Meryl Streep received the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award and used the opportunity to challenge the ethics of the President of the United States and to ask that Hollywood support the press and combat bullying.
“Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence.”
— Streep’s statements went viral around the world.
Akhtar’s juxtaposition of this speech with Bollywood’s evident silence today is synonymous with the contrasting political freedom of the two industries.
BoxOfficeWorldwide Verdict
In a time where box office numbers have louder voices than social convictions, Javed Akhtar‘s voice urges Bollywood to be aware of its influence—and its role—within the public sphere.
The comparison to Meryl Streep is more than a commentary; it is a reflection on India’s cinematic elite.
However, the question remains: will any one voice rise above the silence in Bollywood?
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