As the entertainment industry continues to come together in support of the students protesting over the NEET paper leak and police action on the protesters, a growing number of actors, singers, filmmakers and comedians are expressing solidarity and calling for empathy, accountability and dialogue on their respective social media handles.

Actor Dulquer Salmaan shared an emotional note on Instagram Stories, saying the developments at Jantar Mantar were a “reminder to stop, listen and choose to understand.” Calling education about “hope, opportunity and the promise of a better future”, he said it was “heartbreaking” to see young people facing uncertainty.

He said, “My hope is for meaningful dialogue, peaceful solutions, and decisions guided by wisdom and empathy. A future based on understanding will always be stronger than one based on division and violence.”

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali also expressed solidarity by sharing a photo of the protests with the hashtag #OneNation and “Students, our future” with the message, “We just have to listen to this for our future.”

Here are his posts:

Filmmaker Pooja Bhatt continued to raise questions over the way the protests were handled. Sharing a post on Twitter, he urged those in power to listen to the students instead of responding with force.

Actress Aditi Rao Hydari shared a note saying she was speaking “not as an actress, but as a living, thoughtful, responsible citizen who feels”, expressing grief over the violence and calling for non-violence, respect, safety and space for peaceful, transparent dialogue. He said standing with those in crisis “is not agenda driven or political – it is humanitarian.

Actor Prajakta Koli also posted, “Every generation decides whether the next generation will inherit more faith or more fear. The choices we make today become stories and hopefully they will endure tomorrow too,” with the Indian flag, while filmmaker Shoojit Sircar urged students to protest peacefully, writing, “Protest is a democratic right, and carry out your protest within the limits of your right,” signing off with “Jai Hind.” First.

See the post here:

Actress Sonakshi Sinha also continued to increase visibility of the protests, while Shabana Azmi and actor Nimrit Kaur extended their support through social media posts.

Speaking to India Today, actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya also supported the students by condemning the alleged police action during the ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest. Meanwhile, veteran actor Anupam Kher expressed support towards the students and cautioned them against allowing “political opportunists” to take over the movement. He said students’ concerns should be heard, but he urged them to remain focused on their issue.

Singer Arijit Singh also joined the growing list of celebrities supporting the students by promoting protest-related posts on Instagram. Singer-songwriter Anuv Jain expressed his support, while comedian Harsh Gujral shared a note on Instagram, clarifying that it was “not a political post”.

Harsh wrote, “No matter the situation, students deserve to be heard, treated with respect and given a fair opportunity to express their concerns. Their future matters and I hope their voices are heard with empathy and understanding.”

Singer B Praak posted an emotional message saying his “heart is deeply saddened” by the developments. Emphasizing that each student represents the hopes of the entire family, he urged officials to listen to them with compassion.

He wrote, “Students are the future of our country. Their dreams, their lives and their aspirations are priceless.” He said that the injustice that is happening to students today can happen to anyone’s child tomorrow.

See his post here:

The latest wave of support comes a day after actors Pratibha Ranta, Gurfateh Pirzada and singer Akasa Singh expressed solidarity with the students. Earlier this week, rapper Hanumankind joined protesters in Delhi and condemned the alleged use of force, while singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh urged authorities to listen to students’ concerns, saying, “The voice of the people is the voice of God.”

Actress Ayesha Khan also shared updates from Mumbai, claiming that she was briefly detained while attempting to participate in a protest in the city.

As protests continue across the country, a growing number of voices from the entertainment world have come forward to voice the demands of the students, many of whom have called for peaceful negotiations and a solution that prioritizes the future and well-being of the youth.