Javed Akhtar has been one of the few vocal members of the Indian film industry who are able to freely criticize the Central Government. Despite being one of the lone voices, he doesn’t seem to hold it against other film industry members, including A-list actors, for not dissenting like he does.
“Meryl Streep gave a statement (against the US government), but there was no income tax raid on her. Whether this insecurity is really there or not, I don’t want to get into the debate. But this is indeed the perception. If this perception, this terror is in one’s heart, one would be scared of the ED (Enforcement Directorate), the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), an Income Tax raid, that one’s files would be exposed and one would be investigated,” said Akhtar.
In a chat on Kapil Sibal’s YouTube channel, the veteran screenwriter, poet and lyricist claimed that the absence of dissent in the film industry stems not from within, but outside of the film industry. “They may be working in the film industry, but they operate in this society, right? They’re working like other regular people, just that there’s more dhoom dhaam in this profession,” added Akhtar.
Notably, back in 2017, Hollywood actor Meryl Streep turned a Golden Globe acceptance speech into a scathing attack on US President Donald Trump, saying she had been heartbroken by his imitation of a disabled reporter during his campaign. “There was one performance this year that stunned me,” Streep said as she was honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award.
“It sank its hooks in my heart. Not because it was good. It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter,” she said. The three-time Oscar winner was referring to a 2015 incident at a South Carolina rally when Trump flailed his arms and slurred in his speech in an apparent mocking of New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski, who has a physical disability. Trump later denied that he was imitating the reporter.
“It kind of broke my heart when I saw it and I still can’t get it out of my head because it wasn’t in a movie. It was real life,” Streep said. “This instinct to humiliate when it’s modelled by someone in the public platform by someone powerful it filters down into everybody’s life. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence,” she added.
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While Streep did not name Trump directly, she used almost the entire speech to criticize his behaviour and policies, while calling for Hollywood to stand strong against any attacks and to support a free press through organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists.