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Javed Akhtar said Indian film professionals avoid criticizing the government due to fear of repercussions like tax raids, unlike Meryl Streep’s criticism of Trump.
Javed Akhtar explains why no one in the Indian film industry speaks out against the government.
Veteran lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar has shared his perspective on why most Indian film industry professionals refrain from speaking out against the government. In a recent statement, Akhtar talked about the challenges faced by those in the industry who choose to be outspoken, suggesting that fear of repercussions often silences dissent.
Javed Akhtar, who is known for his candid criticism of the central government, acknowledged that while he remains one of the few voices in the industry willing to speak out, he does not blame others, including Bollywood’s top stars, for staying silent.
“Meryl Streep gave a statement (against the US government), but there was no income tax raid on her. Whether this insecurity is really there or not, I don’t want to get into the debate. But this is indeed the perception. If this perception, this terror is in one’s heart, one would be scared of the ED (Enforcement Directorate), the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), an Income Tax raid, that one’s files would be exposed and one would be investigated,” said Akhtar.
During a conversation on Kapil Sibal’s YouTube channel, Javed Akhtar discussed the lack of dissent within the film industry, suggesting that the issue isn’t intrinsic to the industry itself, but rather influenced by external factors. He pointed out that while film professionals are part of the entertainment world, they still live and work within society, where similar pressures and challenges exist. Akhtar said that the only difference is the heightened visibility that comes with being in the film industry.
Notably, in 2017, Hollywood star Meryl Streep used her Golden Globe acceptance speech to deliver a sharp critique of then-US President Donald Trump. She expressed her heartbreak over his mocking of a disabled reporter during his campaign. Streep, while receiving the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award, stated, “There was one performance this year that stunned me.”
“It sank its hooks in my heart. Not because it was good. It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter,” she said.
The three-time Oscar winner was referencing a 2015 incident at a South Carolina rally, where Trump appeared to mock New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski, who has a physical disability. During the rally, Trump flailed his arms and slurred his speech in a way that many saw as imitating Kovaleski. Trump, however, denied the accusation, claiming that he wasn’t mocking the reporter.
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