Vismaya Mohanlal, other Malayalam actors face online harassment over support to Jantar Mantar protests

Mohanlal’s daughter, actor Vismaya Mohanlal, and other Malayalam film stars who supported the anti-government student agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar are facing severe online harassment on social media platforms, especially Facebook.

Earlier this week, Vismaya had reposted a story on her Instagram feed condemning the Delhi Police’s actions to ‘suppress’ student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the leak of NEET papers and exam reforms.

“Tear gas. Lathi charges. Students injured. Roads blocked. Metro stations closed. Heavy barricades across the city. Internet suspended. You don’t have to agree with the protesters. You don’t have to support their demands. You don’t even have to like the organizations involved. But if citizens who raise their voices are met with overwhelming force rather than dialogue, each of us must stop and ask what kind of democracy we have become. Because tomorrow, you may be the one who wants to be heard. Your city. Your city. Your own neighbourhood,” He read the article.

The post ended with this sentence: “My question to all of you is simple: Do you really believe that this is how a democracy should respond to its citizens?”

After the post went viral, some of the older posts on the Facebook page were flooded with hundreds of abusive comments. Some of the comments linked his comments at this point to the release of his upcoming debut film. Thudakkam.

Referring to abusive attacks, one of the comments said, “You can ask your father about Prithviraj’s situation before making such comments.” Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran had faced criticism in the past after making public comments on political issues.

Some of the other comments questioned what he was about, questioning his silence on various other topics, while others swore they would never watch his movies. The fact that abusive comments were fewer on the Instagram page than on the Facebook page was likely a reflection of the different age profiles of users of both platforms.

Actor Tovino Thomas, who was also subjected to online harassment, had criticized the Delhi Police’s handling of the protests.

“When the next generation of a nation raises its voice and their voices are met with oppressive force, the future itself is trampled. Faith in democracy is withering away. What did these students do wrong? Did they destroy property? Were they violent? What exactly did they do to deserve this treatment? I offer my wholehearted solidarity to anyone anywhere in our country who peacefully protests for a just cause. The right to dissent is not a threat to democracy; in fact, it is one of its foundations,” he wrote.

He also rejected those who questioned his understanding of nationalism. “I know myself better than you. My policy is humanity. My belief is peace,” he wrote.

Some of the comments directed at Tovino were social in nature.

Yuva Morcha activists staged a protest outside Tovino’s house in Irinjalakuda on Wednesday. When candidates in Kerala staged a symbolic protest by consuming land against the delay in appointments by the State Public Service Commission, they held up banners and covered their mouths with black cloth, claiming that the actor remained silent. They claimed that despite nurses in the state protesting for months demanding better pay, there was no response.

“What is happening in Jantar Mantar is a reminder to choose to stop, listen and understand,” actor Dulquer Salmaan said on Wednesday, observing that “it is heartbreaking to see young people facing uncertainty.”

In his social media post regarding the ongoing student protest, he said education has always been about hope, opportunity and the promise of a better future. “What makes my heart hurt even more is that some students feel like they have no path forward, while others choose to end it all and try to keep the hopes of parents who carry that pain and debt alive,” he said.

“Beyond every opinion, there are individuals with dreams, aspirations, families and hopes who deserve compassion and respect,” the actor said. “My hope is for meaningful dialogue, peaceful solutions, and decisions guided by wisdom and empathy. A future based on understanding will always be stronger than a future based on division and violence.”

Last week, actor Parvathy Thiruvothu also faced similar online harassment after she made comments criticizing the transfer of educator Sonam Wangchuk to hospital from the protest site where she was on an indefinite hunger strike. Ms Thiruvothu described the action as a “hijacking of our rights”.

“Our voice has been hijacked. When protectors become abusers, we better remind them that we will never allow our India to be ruled by fraudsters and liars. Solidarity and support to the brave citizens at Jantar Mantar and across the country,” he wrote in his Instagram post.

Popular anchor Ranjini Haridas also faced severe online harassment after she visited Jantar Mantar to express her solidarity with students two days ago.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader B. Gopalakrishnan was among those who made derogatory comments against him.

It was published – 22 July 2026 13:32 IST