Following the end of the student protests, veteran actor Anupam Kher criticised the language used during the demonstrations and voiced his support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He condemned what he described as a decline in public discourse, saying people across all age groups had crossed the boundaries of respectful language.
Kher shared a video on his official Instagram account along with a lengthy note. In the caption, he wrote:
“The greatest strength of democracy is our voice, but its greatest beauty is our language. Disagreement is necessary. Asking questions is necessary. Holding governments accountable is also necessary. But if we lose the dignity of our language, the power of our words will also diminish.
This video is not for or against any individual. It is in support of a culture where ideas may clash, but words should not be degraded. We can have differences of opinion while maintaining civility, because a civilised society is defined not only by its ideas but also by the way they are expressed. Jai Hind. Vande Mataram.”
In the video, he said, ‘The movement is over, many things became clear. It was also proven that if a student honestly puts forth their point, then democracy listens to them.’
He further said, ‘One incident in this entire movement has deeply saddened all of us. The way derogatory and indecent language was used for India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in front of cameras and on stages; seeing that, the mind was distressed. This is not a question of one individual, but of the culture that we want to leave behind for the coming generation.’
Further, the actor said, ‘We can disagree with any leader, criticise their policies, question them; this is the soul of democracy. But when arguments end, and abuses begin, there is no debate left, only noise remains. Narendra Modi has been in public life for the last 30 years; the people of the country have repeatedly given him their trust. We don’t need to agree with every one of his decisions, but it is our collective responsibility to respect the dignity of the office of any elected minister.’
Further, Anupam Kher says, ‘The sorrow is not that he was opposed. The sorrow is that the language of opposition became so petty. This was not limited to just the youth. People from every section became a part of this deteriorating language. When elders themselves forget decorum, how can we expect it from the coming generation? By all means, ask questions to democracy, but don’t let words become so poor that they reveal our character before our point, because a country’s identity is formed by its people and their language.’
Many celebs supported the student protest
Many big artists, including Salman Khan, Preity Zinta, Dia Mirza, openly supported the student protest, while many celebrities, including Prakash Raj, Shabana Azmi, Ayesha Khan, Imran Khan, Munawar Faruqui, also became part of the protest.
After Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation came to light on July 25, many celebrities called it a victory for democracy. Many artists, including Alia Bhatt, Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, Priyanka Chopra, Swara Bhasker, Tillotama Shome, Bhumi Pednekar, Huma Qureshi, Ishaan Khatter, Abhishek Banerjee, Vir Das, Samay Raina, Vijay Varma, Reema Kagti, and Zoya Akhtar, congratulated the students through social media.
Prakash Raj wrote in his social media post, “My dear friends, many congratulations to you. Also congratulations to Sonam Wangchuk Sir and all those who stood firmly with the youth. You have proven that even the government can be brought to its knees.”
Vir Das, writing a message to the students, said, You have revived that small thing which we had read in school books and forgotten. Dear children, whatever happens next, victory is yours. Now go and celebrate this victory.
Comedian Samay Raina, posting a brief message in support of the students, wrote, “May students get more strength.” His message is being rapidly shared on social media.
Abhishek Banerjee said – If we stay united, we will stay strong
Actor Abhishek Banerjee wrote while changing his profile photo, “I have changed my profile photo. Many congratulations to the new generation. Also, always remember one thing- if we stay united, we will stay strong, if we divide, we will lose.”
Priyanka Chopra expressed contentment, praised youngsters
Priyanka Chopra also expressed happiness over this development and, through her Instagram story, praised the new generation leading the movement.
Priyanka shared a post from Humans of Bombay, which read, “After a 30-day student movement across the country and Sonam Wangchuk’s difficult 26-day hunger strike, Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.” On this post, she reacted by adding clapping, an emotional face, black glasses, and red heart emojis.
After this, Priyanka shared another post from India Cultural Hub, which read, “This victory belongs to the new generation.”
Priyanka then also shared a picture of Sonam Wangchuk on her Instagram story. However, she did not write anything with this picture.
Alia said – Gen Z made history Alia Bhatt wrote on her Instagram story, “Gen-Z came forward, the rest became history.”
Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar praised the students Filmmaker Reema Kagti praised the students, writing, “Gen-Z, you are a tsunami of hope.” Zoya Akhtar wrote, “Democracy is a system of government in which power is in the hands of the people.”
Bhumi, Huma and Ishaan called it a victory for democracy Bhumi Pednekar said that this movement has inspired the entire country. She expressed hope that it would lead to widespread reforms in the education system and other institutions.
Huma Qureshi, who had reached Jantar Mantar with her brother Saqib Saleem a few days ago, wrote, “Salute to the youth of the country.” Meanwhile, actor Ishaan Khatter called it a victory for India and democracy.
He wrote, “The collective sensibility of millions of people has washed away years of indifference. I am extremely proud. This is the India I grew up in. Mother, I salute you.”
Shabana Azmi said – This is just the beginning In a conversation with PTI, Shabana Azmi congratulated the students and said, “I am very proud of our youth. They have proved that our Constitution is our greatest strength. For this, I thank them from the bottom of my heart.”
Shabana said that Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is the first step towards the students’ victory, but the movement should not stop here. She said, “Until comprehensive reforms are made in the education system and all the demands of the students are met, this struggle should continue.”
Vijay Varma, Sanya Malhotra, and Ayesha Khan also extended support
Following Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, several artists and digital creators, including actors Vijay Varma, Sanya Malhotra, Ridhi Dogra, and Ayesha Khan, also supported the students’ concerns. All of them emphasised the need for transparency, accountability, and listening to students’ voices in the education system.
Riddhi Dogra wrote a long note on democracy Riddhi Dogra emphasised the importance of democracy in an Instagram post. She wrote, ‘Democracy was not built in a single moment. It was built over time by those who never stopped caring. Today reminds us that your voice has power. Hopefully, you will use it with empathy, understanding, and hope. The future of India is yours.’
Vijay Varma took a dig at the government by sharing two posts Vijay Varma shared two consecutive posts on Instagram, which were seen as a dig at the government.
Swara Bhasker and Tillotama Shome congratulated the students, called the resignation a victory for the movement
After Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, actresses Swara Bhasker and Tillotama Shome also reacted on social media. Swara Bhasker, who has been actively supporting the student movement since day one, shared a video of students celebrating from Jantar Mantar on her Instagram story. Along with it, she wrote, ‘Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned. This is a huge victory for the students.’
Meanwhile, actress Tillotama Shome also praised the students’ struggle through her Instagram story. She wrote, ‘Many thanks to the youth of India.’
