Salman Khan breaks silence on student protests, backs families amid Bollywood’s muted response

After days of criticism over Bollywood A-listers' conspicuous silence on the ongoing student protests, Salman Khan has finally weighed in, lending his voice to a movement that has dominated headlines and sparked nationwide debate.

While actors such as Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj and Rajkummar Rao had already expressed support for the students, many of Bollywood’s biggest commercial stars had remained noticeably quiet. Salman, one of Hindi cinema’s most influential actors with a massive fan following, is among the first of the industry’s top-tier superstars to publicly address the issue.

In a heartfelt social media post, the actor expressed solidarity with students and their families, while lamenting that what began as a peaceful movement had turned violent.

“It was such a peaceful movement, feel so sad that it had to take a violent turn. My heart goes out to the students and their families who were hurt,” Salman wrote.

Calling the alleged paper leak “a very serious issue,” he praised students for demanding a better education system instead of remaining silent.

“I am glad to know n see that the kids of our country have come together for a better educational system, and their parents supported them,” he added.

Salman’s statement comes amid growing scrutiny of Bollywood’s reluctance to comment on issues of national importance. In recent days, commentators and social media users have questioned why several of the industry’s biggest stars—including Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Katrina Kaif and others—have not publicly addressed the protests, despite their scale and the impact on thousands of students.

The actor also applauded the protesters for maintaining a peaceful approach and described their movement as the right way to seek change.

“I truly appreciate the stand they have taken… This andolan, this protest, is the right way to go abt it… So courageous and brave. Driven and motivated towards education, this generation will make India proud,” he wrote.

While Salman is not the first Bollywood personality to support the students, his intervention is significant because of his unparalleled reach and influence. His statement adds one of the industry’s loudest voices to a conversation that has, until now, largely unfolded without the participation of many of Bollywood’s biggest names.

Whether his comments prompt more mainstream stars to speak up remains to be seen, but his post has already shifted the spotlight back onto Bollywood’s response—or lack thereof—to one of the country’s most widely discussed youth-led movements.