Hrithik Roshan Broke Bollywood's Silence for Sonam Wangchuk But Did He Accidentally Make It All About Himself?

In an industry that is often criticised for staying away from politically sensitive conversations, Hrithik Roshan's recent Instagram Story has sparked a debate that goes beyond celebrity endorsements. While many applauded the actor for being the first major Bollywood A-lister to publicly support educator and activist Sonam Wangchuk's ongoing hunger strike, others questioned one particular part of his statement. Was his mention of 'playing a teacher' a genuine attempt to connect with the issue, or did it unintentionally shift the focus back to himself?

The discussion has since spread across social media, with Reddit users offering sharply divided opinions, making Hrithik's brief post a talking point of its own.

Hrithik's message and why it stood out

Hrithik Roshan reshared a video originally posted by actor Lisa Ray, featuring Sonam Wangchuk speaking about the emotional toll of the alleged NEET examination paper leak. In the video, Wangchuk questions the public's silence over the crisis and highlights the reported student suicides linked to the controversy.

Sharing the clip, Hrithik wrote, "This sounds true. I learnt about the trauma students go through when I played a teacher in one of my movies."

The actor was referring to Super 30, in which he portrayed mathematician and educator Anand Kumar. While the film explored the struggles of underprivileged students fighting for educational opportunities, Hrithik's statement attempted to draw a connection between that experience and the concerns being raised by Wangchuk today.

More importantly, his post marked one of the first instances of a mainstream Bollywood superstar publicly expressing solidarity with Wangchuk during the ongoing protest. At a time when many high-profile names have remained silent, Hrithik's decision to speak up did not go unnoticed.

Support or self-reference? Social media can't agree

The actor's Story quickly became the subject of discussion online, particularly on Reddit, where reactions reflected two very different viewpoints.

One section appreciated Hrithik simply for taking a stand. Several users pointed out that regardless of how he framed his message, the bigger takeaway was that an A-list actor had chosen to amplify Wangchuk's concerns when many others had stayed away from the issue.

Some users also defended his Super 30 reference, arguing that actors often relate public issues to experiences they have gained while portraying real-life characters. According to them, Hrithik's role may not have made him an education expert, but spending months understanding Anand Kumar's work could have given him insight into the pressures students face.

Others, however, felt the statement could have been stronger without mentioning his own film. Critics argued that bringing up a movie while commenting on a sensitive national issue made the message appear unnecessarily self-referential. A few even remarked that the focus shifted from Wangchuk's protest to Hrithik's career, questioning whether the actor needed to remind audiences of his role in Super 30 while discussing such a serious matter.

One Reddit user sarcastically wrote that even here, the actor managed to promote his film, while another responded that if the reference came from a place of personal understanding, there was nothing wrong with it. The debate soon evolved into a larger conversation about whether public figures should personalise social issues or simply lend their voice without adding their own narratives.

The larger issue remains bigger than the debate

Lost amid the discussion is the reason Wangchuk is protesting in the first place. The 59-year-old educator, innovator and activist has been on an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over allegations surrounding irregularities and the reported paper leak in the NEET-UG examination. Wangchuk has argued that the controversy has deeply affected students and has repeatedly called for greater accountability within the education system.

His protest has steadily gained support from public figures across the entertainment industry. Actors including Zeenat Aman, Lisa Ray, Soni Razdan, Swara Bhasker, Abhay Deol, Prakash Raj, Omi Vaidya and Sonakshi Sinha have all voiced solidarity with Wangchuk.