Mia Khalifa and Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Mia Khalifa and Priyanka Chopra Jonas Image Credit: Supplied

Former adult film actress Mia Khalifa has been a vocal supporter of the farmers who are protesting in India. Now, she’s wondering why actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas has been largely silent on the issue.

“Is Mrs Jonas going to chime in at any point?” tweeted Khalifa. “I’m just curious. This is very much giving me shakira during the Beirut devastation vibes. Silence.”

Chopra Jonas is currently on a book tour for her autobiography ‘Unfinished: A Memoir’ and is riding high after the release of Netflix production ‘The White Tiger’.

Barring an isolated tweet on December 6, 2020, in which the actress referred to India’s farmers as the nation’s food soldiers, she has not weighed in on recent developments. At that point, she had expressed her hope that the crisis is ‘resolved sooner than later’.

But the issue has reignited in a big way.

Last week, pop star Rihanna’s tweet — “why aren’t we talking about this?!” — and a re-post of a news article about the farmers’ protests triggered massive global attention.

The Indian government, in turn, criticised foreign individuals for “rushing to comment on such matters without a proper understanding of the issues”.

The Beirut-born, American talent Khalifa joined the likes of Rihanna and young climate activist Greta Thunberg as they expressed support for Indian farmers who are fighting against a string of laws. The women have all been viciously trolled following their posts, but are also being hailed by many for their humanitarian stand.

In her tweet, Khalifa also called out Colombian singer Shakira, whose father is Lebanese. In August 2020, Khalifa condemned Shakira for not speaking up about the deadly Beirut blasts that killed 171 people and injured more than 1,500.

Chopra Jonas isn’t the only Bollywood star to remain silent over the issue that’s gaining traction worldwide. Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have also observed silence.