Vismaya Mohanlal and other Malayalam actors face online harassment for supporting Jantar Mantar protests

Actor Vismaya Mohanlal, Mohanlal’s daughter, like other Malayalam film stars who supported the anti-government student agitation at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, is facing brutal online harassment on social media platforms, especially Facebook.

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

“Tear gas. Lathi attacks. Students injured. Roads blocked. Metro stations closed. Heavy barricades all over 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 the response to citizens asking questions is overwhelming force, instead of dialogue is overwhelming force. Because tomorrow democracy becomes stop and each of us should become kind, to be kind.your city.

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

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

“You can ask your father about Prithviraj’s situation before you do something like this,” read one comment, referring to the crude attacks. Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran has faced flak after speaking out publicly on political issues in the past.

Some of the other comments resorted to whataboutery, questioning her silence on various other issues, while others vowed never to watch her movies. There were fewer offensive comments on her Instagram page compared to her Facebook page, which could reflect the different age profiles of the two platforms’ users.

Actor Tovino Thomas, who is also a target of online harassment, criticized the way the Delhi Police handled the protests.

“When the future generations of a nation speak and their voices are met with repressive force, it is the future itself that is suppressed. It is faith in democracy that is drained away. What did those students do wrong? Did they destroy property? Did they resort to violence? What exactly did they do to deserve this treatment? Any person who protests for a just cause, peacefully, in any part of my discontent, is not a threat of solidarity to our entire country. Democracy is in fact, one of its foundations,” he wrote.

He also dismissed those who question his sense of nationalism. “I know myself better than you. My politics is humanity. My beliefs are peace,” he wrote.

Some of the comments against Tovin were of a communal nature.

Yuva Morcha activists staged a protest outside Tovino’s residence in Irinjalakuda on Wednesday. They covered their mouths with black cloth and held up placards claiming the actor was silent as aspirants in Kerala staged a symbolic land-eating protest against the delay in appointments by the State Public Service Commission. They claimed he failed to respond when nurses in the state staged protests demanding better wages for months.

Actor Dulquer Salmaan said on Wednesday that “what’s happening at Jantar Mantar is a reminder to stop, listen and choose understanding,” noting that “seeing young people facing uncertainty is gut-wrenching.”

In a social media post on the ongoing student protest, he said education has always been about hope, opportunity and the promise of a better future. “What breaks my heart even more is knowing that some students feel like they have no way forward, while others even decide to end it all. And parents carrying that pain and debt, trying to keep their hopes alive,” he said.

The actor pointed out that “behind every opinion are individuals with dreams, aspirations, families and hopes that deserve compassion and respect.” “I hope for meaningful dialogue, peaceful solutions and decisions guided by wisdom and empathy. A future built on understanding will always be stronger than a future built on division and violence,” he said.

Last week, actress Parvathy Thiruvothu also faced similar online harassment after she criticized the way educationist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to hospital from the site of his indefinite hunger strike. Ms. Thiruvothu called the act a “hijacking of our rights”.

“Hijacking our votes. When the protectors turn abusive, we better remind them that we will never allow OUR India to be run by crooks and liars. Solidarity and support to the brave citizens at Jantar Mantar and across the country,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

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

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

Published – 22 Jul 2026 13:32 IST