Mumbai: Condemning the police crackdown inside Jamia Millia university, several film industry insiders, including one from Hollywood, on Monday rallied behind the university's students and said the government is trying to stifle voices of dissent against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Hollywood star John Cusack joined prominent names from the Indian film fraternity, including director Anurag Kashyap, actors Prithviraj Sukumaran, Indrajith Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Kunchako Boban, Taapsee Pannu, Konkona Sensharma and Sudhir Mishra, in expressing his anger over Sunday's violence inside the campus.
Thousands of students across India took to the streets demanding a probe into the use of teargas inside the Jamia library as well as police entering the campus without permission from university authorities on Sunday.
Jamia turned into a battlefield on Sunday as police entered the campus and used force to quell student protests against the Act.
Many on social media noted the usual silence of top stars, directors and producers in Bollywood but there were many who voiced their support for student protests.
"Serendipity" star Cusack also took note of the videos from inside the campus, which were circulated widely on social media.
"Reports from Delhi are - it was a war zone last night - Fascism is not a joke - we use the word with the understanding, it's deadly," he said in a series of tweets after first asking for the context of the protests.
Director Anurag Kashyap, who had left Twitter in August this year, returned to the social media platform to voice his anger over the way student protests were handled.
"This has gone too far... (I) can't stay silent any longer. This government is clearly fascist... and it makes me angry to see voices that can actually make a difference stay quiet...," he tweeted.
Actor-turned-director Prithviraj Sukumaran posted a photo of the Delhi student protests and said, "revolution is homegrown. Always. #Rise."
His brother, who is also an actor, Indrajith Sukumaran also shared a sketch of Ayesha Renna fighting Delhi police, and said "Uprising - Home made! Long live secularism."
Their colleague Kunchacko Boban also shared the image saying ""This pointed finger is enough to unite all the children of INDIA, Stay true to the Constitution. Stay as the true Daughter & Son of INDIA!! JAI HIND."
Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas also came out in support of the protests on Monday by posting his message on his official Facebook page.
"The more they try to repress, higher the uprising will be. The hashtags, campaigns and anxiety will all take a final form - into an absolute outbreak! That's what history narrates," he said.
Actor Parvathy Thirovothu in her Twitter handle shared on Monday the videos of Jamia and Aligarh universities where police are seen firing at the students with the caption "Jamia and Aligarh.... terrorism".
When the internet was shut down in the north eastern states after the Rajya Sabha passed the CAA, Parvathy had tweeted "shiver through the spine."
"Oh we cannot be letting this happen! Oh No.", the "Take Off" and "Uyare" star said.
Actress Amala Paul shared a caricature of a girl student protesting against the police 'brutality', which also had a caption in Malayalam,saying " India does not belong to your father".
In a Facebook Post, Anoop Menon said: The India that we knew was a land where "being secular" was not an obligation, but an ingrained habit that came like respecting your elders.. Nobody forced us into believing that unity in diversity was the most significant aspect of Indian identity, it just sank into our blood and breath.
"The India that we once knew saw debates and dissent, deliberations and deductions, but never was it misguided or maligned by antipathy and phobias... Dear government, every Hindu here will imperatively have a Muslim, Christian or Sikh as a bosom friend and being so was the very idiom of our upbringing," the actor said.
Actor Taapsee Pannu said the videos of police action inside the campus are heartbreaking.
"Wonder if this is a start or the end. Whatever it is, this is surely writing new rules of the land and those who don't fit in can very well see the consequences. This video breaks heart and hopes all together. Irreversible damage, and I'm not talking about just the life and property," she wrote on Twitter.
Director Sudhir Mishra recalled his 1987 film "Yeh Woh Manzil Toh Nahin" with student politics in the backdrop.
"Towards the climax, the police enter the campus and brutally beat up the students. Nothing has changed. Terrible that now we know where the flowers (have) gone. Crushed!"
"We are with the students! Shame on you @DelhiPolice," said actor-filmmaker Konkona Sensharma.
"Newton" star Rajkummar Rao condemned the police action against the students while appealing for peaceful protests.
"I strongly condemn the violence that the police have shown in dealing with the students. In a democracy, the citizens have the right to peacefully protest. I also condemn any kind of act of destruction of the public properties. Violence is not the solution for anything!" he wrote on Twitter.
In a pointed tweet, actor Sayani Gupta said, "On behalf of the students of Jamia & AMU request at least one of you to tweet or message Mr Modi condemning this act of police brutality and violence against students. The time has come to speak up guys. Yes? No? May be? @RanveerOfficial, @karanjohar, @ayushmannk, @RajkummarRao."
South star Siddharth tweeted, "These two are not Krishna and Arjuna. They are Shakuni and Duryodhana. Stop attacking #universities! Stop assaulting #students! #JamiaMilia #JamiaProtest."
Writer-comedian Varun Grover said history will take note of what happened in Jamia.
"Whatever may be next, but this fact will always be in history that some cunning people tried to divide this great country in the name of religion, the most sacred place of a university, tears and gas on the students studying in the library, sticks, and rained abuses. The present will blur, history will remain," Grover tweeted in Hindi.
Actor Ali Fazal said now was not the time to stay silent, irrespective of one's ideological divide.
"It's funny, I felt, hey Ali, let's play it safe all these years. And now I can't. A lot of my colleagues may not speak up at all. But I pray we all realise there is no job, no career above humanity. Socho, aur time kam hai toh act fast (Think, and if you have no time, then act fast). Irrespective of your political ideologies right now," he said.
Actor Swara Bhasker said she was shocked by what had happened.
"Why are students being treated like criminals? Why are hostels being tear gassed.. ??? What is going on #DelhiPolice ???? Shocking and shameful!"
Actors Richa Chadha and Vikrant Massey and directors Anubhav Sinha, Onir and Reema Kagti were also among those who voiced support for those protesting against the Act.
Superstar Akshay Kumar found himself in a row after he accidentally liked a tweet tagging a video showing students running away from police personnel.
He said he had accidentally liked the tweet which read, "Badhai Ho... Jamia me Azaadi mili hai."
"Regarding the 'like' on the tweet of Jamia Milia students, it was by mistake. I was scrolling and accidentally it must have been pressed and when I realised I immediately unliked it as in no way do I support such acts," Akshay said.
