India’s Bollywood stars slammed for supporting Palestinians, ignoring domestic issues

Among the Bollywood celebrities who have voiced support for the Palestinians in Rafah were Madhuri Dixit, Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor Khan

Reading Time:3 minutes

Indians carry placards as they participate in a foot march in Chennai to protest the war in Gaza and to show solidarity with the people of Palestine. Photo: AP

Published: 6:00pm, 9 Jun 2024

Several Bollywood stars have come under fire from their peers and others for supporting Palestinians in the ongoing Israel-Gaza war while ignoring issues that affect millions in India.

Some industry observers, however, say the recent Indian general election in which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party lost its majority could spur more celebrities to speak up on issues in general.

Last month, amid Israel’s attacks in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, the “Eyes on Rafah” social media campaign took off worldwide with many expressing outrage against the actions of Israeli troops.

Among the Bollywood celebrities who have voiced support for Palestinians were Madhuri Dixit, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Varun Dhawan, Dia Mirza and Sonakshi Sinha.

Alia Bhatt attends this year’s Met Gala in New York City. Bhatt is among the Bollywood celebrities who have voiced support for Palestinians. Photo: AFP

However, in the face of heavy trolling with some users referring to oppressed Hindus in South Asia, several Bollywood stars such as Madhuri Dixit who posted during the “Eyes on Rafah” campaign deleted their social media accounts.