February 26, 2025 | Mumbai
Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind. But this time, his simple praise for Virat Kohli turned into an ugly battle on social media. Akhtar, who congratulated Kohli after his match-winning performance against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, was met with a barrage of communal trolling. Instead of staying silent, he hit back with powerful responses that have now gone viral.
Trolls Target Akhtar with Communal Attacks
Almost immediately, trolls flooded the comment section with communal jabs and hateful remarks. Some accused him of being a “fake nationalist,” while others questioned his loyalty to India.
One user suggested that Akhtar wasn’t truly happy about India’s victory and was merely pretending. Another accused him of being anti-national, implying that his appreciation for Kohli was forced. This is not the first time a public figure has been targeted for expressing support for an Indian cricketer, but what happened next set this incident apart.
Javed Akhtar’s Fiery Response
Rather than ignoring the hate, Akhtar chose to reply directly—and his words were as sharp as ever. In response to a troll who called him a hypocrite, he fired back:
"Main to sirf yeh kahoonga ke tum ek neech insaan ho aur neech hi maroge. Tum kya jaano desh prem kya hota hai."
But he didn’t stop there. Another troll called him a “traitor” and questioned his family's history. Akhtar shut them down with this hard-hitting reply:
"Beta, jab tumhare baap-dada angrez ke jootay chaat rahe the, tab mere aazadi ke liye jail aur kala paani mein the. Meri ragon mein desh premion ka khoon hai aur tumhari ragon mein angrez ke naukaron ka khoon hai. Iss antar ko bhoolo nahin."
His words spread like wildfire across social media, drawing reactions from both supporters and critics.
Public Reaction: Support and Debate
Many people applauded Akhtar’s fearless response. Supporters flooded his post with messages of encouragement, praising him for standing up against hate.
"Javed Akhtar is a legend! This is how you silence trolls," one user commented.
Another wrote, "Patriotism is not about religion. Respect to Javed Saab for speaking the truth."
However, some continued to argue that Akhtar should have ignored the trolls instead of engaging with them. Others felt his choice of words was too harsh, though many agreed that he was justified in defending himself.
A Reminder to Focus on the Game
Javed Akhtar’s appreciation post for Virat Kohli was meant to be about cricket—a celebration of an Indian sports icon’s brilliant performance. But social media took it in another direction.
This incident reflects the times we live in, where even the simplest of praises can become controversial. Sports should unite us, not divide us. And perhaps, that’s the message we all need to take away from this.
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