“Bollywood Stars Are Scared of Modi”: Mehdi Hasan and Sreenivasan Jain Weigh In on How Bollywood Stars Have Been “Brought to Heel” Under the Modi Government

THE COCKROACH JANTA PARTY-led protests demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak took a major turn on July 20, 2026. The peaceful march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament, attended by thousands of people, turned violent after several video clips from the protest emerged alleging police brutality at the hands of the Delhi Police. Since then, several A-listers across various industries have come forward in solidarity with the protesters.

However, Bollywood’s eerie silence over educator Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike and the thousands of people demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation has certainly caught the attention of several netizens.

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On July 22, 2026, Bollywood actor Salman Khan took to social media to extend his support to the students and the families who were hurt during the protest. Netizens questioned whether the silence of several celebrities during this time hinted at something else. One user on X alleged that Bollywood might be under pressure from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

In a conversation on July 21, 2026, between senior Indian journalist Sreenivasan Jain and Zeteo Editor-in-Chief Mehdi Hasan, the two shed light on the discourse surrounding whether Bollywood stars are scared of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Bollywood stars don’t seem to have any spines. They simply—when Modi clicks his fingers—they come running to whatever event he needs them at or whatever endorsement he needs them to give on social media,” said Hasan. After Salman Khan’s social media post regarding the student protest, several posts by actors such as Alia Bhatt, Ananya Panday, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and others supporting the protesters followed.

Mehdi Hasan Claims India’s Biggest Stars Are Pressured by Modi

Mehdi Hasan asked Jain why things are the way they are. Referring to India’s biggest stars, who have a massive fan following across the country, he asked whether they are simply “closeted Hindu nationalists” or whether they are afraid their careers would go down the drain or fear for their families’ safety. Hasan asked, “Someone as big as Shah Rukh Khan is worried about what Modi could do to him?” 

Sreenivasan Jain spoke about the time when Shah Rukh Khan’s elder son, Aryan Khan, was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) during a raid on a cruise ship. In 2021, he was detained as part of an investigation related to an alleged international drug racket.

Referring to the incident, Jain and Hasan alleged whether the entire case was some kind of “bring him to heel” moment. Jain responded, “I mean there was a sense in which Shah Rukh hadn't quite kissed the ring.” He continued, saying that the Swades actor had neither spoken critically about the saffron government nor had he “rolled up in the way others had.”

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Jain added that the majority of Bollywood stars are not closeted Hindu nationalists; instead, they are scared. “Some certainly have shown their colours in that regard. But I think this goes back maybe to not just Bollywood. This is everybody,” said Jain, hinting at influential figures from various sectors, such as cricket and athletics. He stated that if one does not comply, one might face a raid by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Without mentioning the comedian by name, he recalled the incident in which a famous comedian’s office building was demolished on the grounds of unauthorized construction. In 2025, parts of comedian Kunal Kamra’s Habitat Studio in Maharashtra were demolished after Kamra made critical remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Jain further noted that a large section of the Bollywood film industry is already caving in, and that it is driven by one emotion—fear. Hasan expressed his shock over how Indian superstars, who have a “cult”-like fan base, are not protected by their fame from the government.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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