24 July,2026 07:49 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist Team
Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan. Pics/AFP, Instagram, Sayyed Sameer Abedi
The fire is lit, and the nation is rallying behind it. And now joining the protest is Hollywood star John Cusack. On Thursday (July 23), the actor shared an article by activist and author Arundhati Roy on X, in which she criticised the authorities for allegedly using excessive force on students during their protest. "Beautiful news from my favourite fellow cockroach," posted John, who has time and again spoken about issues concerning India.
Did you know?
John Cusack had also supported students during their protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019
Genelia Deshmukh and Riteish Deshmukh: We stand in solidarity with the youth of our country. Their voices deserve to be heard - loud, clear, and without fear. They are the heartbeat of our democracy and the true architects of our nation's future
Varun Dhawan: When a student's dream is crushed, it's not just one dream that's lost; it's the dream of an entire family. They have every right to ask questions when they feel the system has failed them
Sara Ali Khan: Their resolve burns like a quiet, unquenchable flame that brings tears to my eyes, reminding us that true patriotism beats in the brave hearts of those who dare to stand up for what they believe in
Kamal Haasan: We should have listened when one child cried. Instead, we waited until far too many died. A system where coaching replaces learning, anxiety replaces curiosity, and criminality replaces merit is rotten. A nation has failed when its children are met with barricades and batons
Calling Welcome to the Jungle his "commercial comeback", Suniel Shetty admitted on mid-day's Sit With Hitlist that the film worked because "Akshay [Kumar] is that saleable star with whom you could make a film at that scale". Reflecting on his own career, he said, "The conversion into ticket sales is something that is important for the box office." The actor also admitted to past missteps, saying he made mistakes while choosing films and producers. Suniel shared that the reason he takes effort to stay fit is to let people know that he is "ready for anything that comes [his way]". "Because once an actor, always an actor," he concluded.
While some headed to Delhi to join the protest, others gathered at the Mumbai protest site. On Wednesday (July 22), Uorfi Javed and her sisters joined students protesting in Shivaji Nagar. While the demonstration remained peaceful, the Mumbai Police's response appeared far less so. Uorfi shared a video talking about police brutality against peaceful protesters, while she escaped. Posting it on her Instagram Stories, she wrote, "Log peaceful protest karna chah rahe hain. Lekin woh bhi nahin karne de rahe hain police wale."
âDhurandhar' actor Ayesha Khan was detained by the police on July 22. Sharing her experience on social media, the actor wrote, "I was pulled by four women. I used all my strength to try not getting into the van but they pulled us in"
Just before the release of Bandar, director Anurag Kashyap went unusually quiet. Now, we hear the filmmaker was unhappy with the final cut of the Bobby Deol-starrer. About distancing himself from the film, he said in a conversation with comedian Kunal Kamra, "When I said don't watch, it's because I can't own up. If you noticed, I didn't give any interviews on the film. Because whatever came out is not my final cut."
