Anurag Kashyap stands with Sonam Wangchuk, questions government’s silence

4 min readMumbaiJul 15, 2026 03:45 PM IST

Anurag Kashyap extended support to Sonam Wangchuk.

Today, Wednesday, marks the 25th day of the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest at Jantar Mantar and the 18th day of educationalist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike. As concerns grow over his deteriorating health, several members of the film fraternity have come forward to express solidarity with the activist. After actors including Zeenat Aman, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Swara Bhasker and Omi Vaidya voiced their support on Tuesday, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has now joined them, questioning the establishment over its silence.

‘Really troubling when the system becomes so indifferent’

Taking to his Instagram Stories, Anurag wrote, “There was a time when hunger strike had some meaning. People don’t go on hunger strike just like that. It’s really troubling when the system becomes so indifferent to people’s lives. Only a man as empathetic and a believer of truth and justice has the courage to do that. I don’t have the courage to do what Sonam Wangchuk is doing. But the silence from the powers to be is deafening to the point that it is a proof of their guilt and their murderous intent. I stand is with the brave heart that Sonam Wangchuk is.”

He did not stop there. Sharing a post on his Instagram Stories, Anurag also penned a strongly worded caption directed at the establishment. He wrote, “Behre bhi itne behre nahin hotey, aur andhe bhi itne andhe nahin hotey. Jaanwar aur rakshason ke dil bhi itne patthar nahin hotey. Ye unse bhi badtar aadamkhor hain. Chup rehne mein sharam aaney lagi hai.” (Even the deaf are not this deaf, and even the blind are not this blind. Even animals and demons do not have hearts this hardened. They are even worse than them; they prey on humans. Remaining silent has started to feel shameful.)

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Bollywood comes in support of Wangchuk

In recent days, several Bollywood personalities have publicly backed Wangchuk’s protest. On Tuesday evening, Shabana Azmi shared a viral photograph of the environmentalist, looking visibly weak during his ongoing hunger strike, on her Instagram handle. Addressing Wangchuk, she wrote, “Dear Sonam Wangchuk, our country gravely needs a person like you. You’re standing against injustice, in favour of the truth. We’re all very proud of you. That’s why we request you to end your hunger strike because your guidance really encourages our students. Yeh ladayi aage tak ladni hai (We need to fight this for a long time). For that, it’s important you stay healthy. We’re all with you.”

Also Read | ‘Fighting for children’s future’: Swara Bhasker meets Sonam Wangchuk amid hunger strike

Actor Abhay Deol also shared the same photograph on his Instagram Stories, accompanied by a broken-heart emoji. Writer Varun Grover, meanwhile, posted a picture of Wangchuk on his X handle and reflected on the protest in a lengthy note. “Maybe CJP and Mr. Wangchuk started this hunger strike under the delusion that the govt. has a heart for students killed/traumatised by NEET paper leak. Maybe they were under no illusions but at least hoped for a tsunami of support from the students they are protesting for,” he wrote.

“Or maybe they knew it all and still went ahead because that’s what revolutions sometimes demand — a delusion that people care for their own issues, a wishful thinking that our kings have a soul or at least some basic decency. And that’s why most revolutions fail because they are not meant to succeed but to remind and document — that power has an infinite appetite for violence, especially when the opponent is non-violent,” Grover added.

About the protest

The protest began on June 20, with Wangchuk joining the movement on June 28. The demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Rs 1 crore in compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. They have also announced a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, the opening day of the Monsoon Session.