As protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar intensified on 10 October, several Bollywood personalities, including Imran Khan, Prakash Raj, Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Dadlani, voiced their reactions.
While Khan was detained in Mumbai, others criticised the police crackdown and expressed solidarity with demonstrators opposing the electoral roll revision.
Actor Imran Khan was detained by Mumbai Police on Saturday, 10 October, during a demonstration at August Kranti Maidan in support of the protest movement.
The actor shared a selfie from inside a police van with the caption, “Apparently I’m going for a drive.” The incident became one of the day’s most prominent developments involving the film industry.
According to The Indian Express, hundreds of demonstrators were detained in as police sealed off the protest site.
Several other film personalities criticised the police response. Actor condemned the detentions and called for the SIR process to be scrapped.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap backed the demonstrators on Instagram, writing, “Do Darpok, 40,000 ghulam, Lakhon bahadur,” while directing followers towards coverage of student leader before her detention.
Actor shared a satirical make-up tutorial about evading facial recognition cameras.
Filmmaker Shirish Kunder wrote on X, “When even the kids start mocking you, it’s time to realise that absolutely no one is scared of you anymore (sic).”
Singer-composer Vishal Dadlani also criticised the crackdown in an Instagram video, questioning the scale of the security response and its impact on citizens’ right to protest.
Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane shared posts condemning the detentions, while actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub posted a Hindi translation of a poem by German playwright Bertolt Brecht in solidarity with protesters.
Comedian shared a screenshot explaining the Streisand Effect, suggesting that attempts to suppress attention can instead amplify it.
Veteran actor had also attended the movement’s 2 October demonstration at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, where he met organiser Abhijeet Dipke and expressed support. His participation, alongside that of other film personalities, had brought wider attention to the campaign.
The demonstrations were organised against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, with participants demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner over alleged irregularities.
The Election Commission has maintained that the revision is a verification exercise, while critics have questioned its implementation
In Delhi, police denied permission for the planned 10 October gathering at , citing public-order concerns. Authorities imposed extensive security restrictions, detained organisers and demonstrators, restricted access to Metro stations and suspended mobile internet services in parts of central Delhi.
Train cancellations and transport curbs also disrupted commuters.
Reuters reported that more than 2,000 people were detained in Delhi amid the security operation. Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the capital, while organisers maintained their demand for .
The scale of the response drew criticism from protesters and public figures, intensifying the debate over the handling of demonstrations and citizens’ right to assemble.
