Deepika Padukone's JNU visit: Shabana Azmi sends 'more power' to her, cites Padmaavat row

Ahead of the release of Chhapaak, Deepika Padukone stirred a controversy with her seven-minute appearance at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday. While the actor was praised on one hand for expressing solidarity with the students after Sunday’s vandalism and attack, many slammed her too, as she was also accused of promoting her upcoming film. Even B-Town was divided for similar reasons. 

READ: Deepika Criticised From Both Sides, Now Aishe Gosh Expresses Dismay Over Actor's Silence

One of those who came out in Deepika’s support was Shabana Azmi. The actor cited how the actor was attacked during the controversy over her last film Padmaavat and shared how no one had come forward to support her then. The veteran added that she knew what it was to be ‘targetted.’  

Sending ‘more power’ to the Bajirao Mastani star, Azmi added that she had shown ‘exemplary courage’ by supporting the JNU students with ‘grace.’ 

READ: Deepika's Old 'Rahul Gandhi For PM' Video Resurfaces Amid JNU Controversy

Here’s the post 

READ: BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain Slams Deepika's 'one-sided Mentality' Over Her JNU Visit

For the uninitiated, there were widespread protests against the 2018 release Padmaavat, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and also starring Deepika’s husband Ranveer Singh. Several fringe Rajput outfits like Karni Sena had expressed objection over reports of a dream sequence between Rajput Queen Rani Padmavati and Afghan tyrant Alauddin Khilji, characters from the 16 th century poem of the same name. The actor was given death threats, along with threats to chop her nose and head and announcing a bounty in crores. 

Apart from Shabana, other celebrities who lauded Deepika were Anurag Kashyap, Swara Bhasker, Anubhav Sinha, among others. 

Here are their tweets:

READ: PR Machinery Gone Too Far? Mass 'campaign' Surfaces After Deepika Padukone's JNU Visit