There was a time when Bollywood didn’t just entertain. It led the national spirit. During wars and crises, the industry stood front and centre. Think of Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Manoj Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar, Saira Banu and Dev Anand. These were stars who toured cities, sang at relief concerts, raised funds for soldiers and united millions with patriotic cinema. During the 1962 Indo-China war and again in 1971, Bollywood was not on the sidelines. It was the emotional frontline. Their voices were not scripted. They were sincere.
Fast forward to April 2025. After the horrific Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians dead and shocked the nation, Bollywood’s response was eerily muted. Just a handful of celebrities posted tributes or messages of solidarity. No mass movement. No industry-wide statement. No emotional outpouring like in the past.
Veteran journalist Sonal Kalra touched upon this silence in her show The Right Angle, produced by Gautam Thakker Films, highlighting how today’s Bollywood appears far more restrained in moments of national pain.
While the government launched Operation Sindoor and the armed forces struck back, Bollywood’s silence was louder than its song. And somewhere along the way, the industry that once gave us Haqeeqat, Border and Roja now hesitates to simply speak up.
