Lyricist Javed Akhtar shared his take on why Bollywood stars don’t speak out against the government.
In a recent conversation with senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, Akhtar said that many celebrities stay silent because they are scared of raids and investigations by agencies like the Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate (ED), or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Sibal asked Akhtar why film celebrities stay silent about matters pertaining to the government, while those in the West does, giving Meryl Streep's example. Akhtar pointed out that film industry isn't as big, and is under industrialists.
Comparing the Indian film industry to Hollywood, he said in Hindi, “Meryl Streep gave a statement [against the US government], but there was no income tax raid on her. Whether this insecurity is real or not, I don’t want to get into that debate. But the perception exists. If this fear exists in one’s heart, then they will worry that ED or CBI will come after them, an income tax raid may happen, that their files will be opened, and they’ll be investigated." He added that the problem persists not just in the film industry but across India.
He also shared that Bollywood stars may be famous, but they live in the same society as everyone else and face the same risks. “Their lives may be more lavish, but they have the same fears. I might speak up, but I understand why others remain quiet,” he explained.
Javed Akhtar is one of the few in the film industry who openly criticises the government. Over the years, he’s faced a lot of trolling for his views. “Even my friends say, ‘Let it be. Why do you want to get into it? You are above all these things.’ Forgive me for my immodesty, I mostly feel above these, but sometimes you have to come down and tell them that, ‘No, you can’t take this liberty, and if you will, I’ll pay you back in the same coins,'" Javed Akhtar earlier told PTI while speaking about the hate he receives.
Javed Akhtar is an Indian screenwriter, lyricist, and poet. He rose to fame as a screenwriter with Zanjeer in 1973. He received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007, two of India’s highest civilian awards.
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