Among those who joined the Chennai protest in solidarity with the CJP agitation was actor Devadarshini, a familiar face in Tamil cinema and known nationally for her role in The Family Man.
A few days ago, she shared a story supporting the protests.
In a video shared on Instagram from the protest organised by Pa. Ranjith, Vetrimaaran and Ameer, Devadarshini expressed solidarity with the protesting students.
“I am very proud of this generation,” she said, adding that she was deeply disturbed after seeing students injured during the Delhi protests. Referring to her own daughter, she remarked that she too was participating in the demonstrations.
Sharing the video on her Instagram handle, she wrote, “Hello people of Chennai! If you want to show your support for the students of our country, do gather at Balan Illam located in T. Nagar for the CJP protest… Proud of the youth of our country. Don’t let democracy die.”
However, one aspect of her post drew attention. The comments section on the Instagram post had been disabled, preventing users from publicly responding to or questioning her position.
If restricting comments is democracy, then what isn’t?
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The actress, who claims to be “proud of the youth” and speaks about not letting “democracy die,” chose to shut down democratic discourse on her own social media platform rather than face scrutiny.
From Promoting NEET Coaching To Protesting Against NEET
Devadarshini has previously appeared in promotional campaigns for Velammal Bodhi Campus’ NEET Repeaters Programme, encouraging students to prepare for and succeed in the NEET examination.
இதுங்களுக்கு கொஞ்சம் கூட கூச்ச நாச்சமே இருக்காது pic.twitter.com/NwS8PlulB3
— kishore k swamy 🇮🇳 (@sansbarrier) July 24, 2026
The advertisement, titled “No. 1 in Tamil Nadu | NEET Repeaters Batch”, promotes the coaching programme as “A Second Chance For Acing NEET Exam.”
The contrast has not gone unnoticed. Netizens questioned how someone who had commercially endorsed NEET coaching programmes is now participating in demonstrations calling for the complete abolition of the examination.
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The decision to disable comments while the post calls on people to “not let democracy die,” it simultaneously prevents followers from openly challenging or debating the actor’s changed stance.
Devadarshini’s actions expose the hollow nature of celebrity activism. When she stands against NEET, she conveniently forgets that she has appeared in advertisements promoting NEET coaching. When she speaks of democracy, she shuts down criticism by restricting comments. When she claims to support students, she profits from the system that causes them distress.
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