Author and columnist Shobhaa De sparked a new controversy with his latest episode, where he criticized Bollywood’s response to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests and asked if celebrities still understand the sentiments of India’s Gen Z audience.In his piece published in ThePrint, De spoke directly Salman Khan‘s social media message to the activist Sonam Wangchukand also look at the comments made by Controversy Ranaut, Hema Malini and Anupam Kher during a youth-led group. He said that several Bollywood personalities seem to have no worries and the language of the next generation has found its own way of expressing opposition.
Shobhaa De on Sonam Wangchuk’s Salman Khan post
Salman Khan was among the Bollywood celebrities who spoke about the CJP’s protest over the NEET-UG paper leak. After giving support to the students who want to be accountable, the actor asked Sonam Wangchuk to end her hunger strike after she was assured by the government.Sharing a message to Wangchuk, Salman wrote, “Sonam, it’s done bro. Don’t add to this. Save the spirit of another day if there is a need, which I doubt, and eat something. If you want, I will send you food from home. Students please go back to your home and to your parents. The PM said that anyone who has done wrong will be punished…”Reacting, Shobhaa De said the format failed to connect with Gen Z.“Ditto with Salman Khan. Calling Sonam Wangchuk ‘Bro’ and giving her a home-cooked meal from Khan’s kitchen to destroy her widespread derision, not praise,” he wrote.He added, “Maybe Salman thinks he was ‘cool’. But Gen Z has rewritten the definition of ‘cool’. And this message was wrong. “
‘Bollywood has never looked better’: Shobhaa De
De also criticized Bollywood’s response to the protests, saying that many stars seem out of touch with the youth.“Bollywood has never looked at this ‘nonsense’. This is unnecessary,” he wrote.He also said that some celebrities entered the conversation after monitoring the public’s reaction, describing their posts as “ChatGPT-scripted”. De also wrote that the same stars who depended on young audiences for their films struggled to understand the generation they were speaking to.“The very stars whose box-office success depends on Young India suddenly woke up, only to be snubbed,” he wrote.
De responds to Kangana Ranaut’s comment on protesters
Kangana Ranaut was also criticized by De for her comments about the CJP’s opponents. The actor-politician shared several Instagram Stories criticizing the protests and questioning the actions of others.Kangana described some of the protest videos as “seductive” and accused the protesters of showing what he called “obscene” and “obscene”. She later referred to a group of girls as “Generation Gutter” as she described their choices and lifestyle.Responding to Kangana’s comments, De wrote, “Even Kangana Ranaut – this side of ‘Aunty’ – has lost the few Gen Z fans she still has with her unflattering voice.”
Hema Malini and Anupam Kher also reported
Apart from Salman and Kangana, De also mentioned veteran actors Hema Malini and Anupam Kher while discussing Bollywood’s response to the group.He said that the actions of the famous people showed a big difference between the famous people and the young protestors.
‘Celebs need Gen Z more than Gen Z needs them’
Summarizing his views, De said that Bollywood stars should realize the changing relationship between celebrities and the young audience.“The thing to understand is this: Gen Z doesn’t need the approval of celebrities or heroes. It’s the opposite. Celebrities need Gen Z,” he wrote.He also said that Gen Z has developed its own style, which combines shows with comedy, art and TV fiction.The CJP protests, which started due to the leak of the NEET-UG paper, later grew into a larger movement for education reform and accountability. The agitation included marches, sit-ins and hunger strikes by Sonam Wangchuk, making it one of the most talked about youth movements of recent times.