📌 Key Points
- Priyanka Chopra’s reaction to Javier Bardem’s ‘Free Palestine’ remark at the Oscars 2026 draws criticism.
- Dhruv Rathee criticizes Chopra’s neutrality, calling it a ‘position of privilege’.
- Rathee contrasts neutral stances of countries like New Zealand with the need to support what is right.
- Rathee praises Spain’s stance, contrasting it with Priyanka Chopra’s perceived neutrality.
Priyanka Chopra is facing backlash after her reaction to Javier Bardem’s ‘Free Palestine’ comment at the Oscars. Political commentator Dhruv Rathee has publicly called out Chopra for her perceived neutrality, labeling it a stance of privilege and inaction.
Priyanka Chopra’s Oscars Reaction Sparks Debate
Actor Priyanka Chopra sparked mixed reactions on social media with her nodding response to Javier Bardem ’s ‘Free Palestine’ remark on the Oscars 2026 stage. Now, political commentator Dhruv Rathee has criticised Priyanka for staying silent and neutral, calling it a position of privilege.
In the video, Dhruv said, “Iss video ko dekho.. Priyanka Chopra ki shakal yahan par dekhne layak thi… Aap mein se kuch log shayad pucho ke galat kya kiya unhone woh chup rahi waha par, neutral rahi, political nahi hona chahti thi… Lekin yeh hi toh dikat hai. Neutrality ki jo position hai woh ek position of privilege hai.”
It translates to, “Watch this video… You have to see Priyanka Chopra’s expression here. Some of you might ask, what did she do wrong? She stayed quiet there, remained neutral, didn’t want to get political… But that’s exactly the problem. The position of neutrality is a position of privilege.”
Explaining his point, Dhruv continued, “Agar aapke ghar ke upar bomb nahi gir rahe hain toh aap neutral hoke keh sakte ho ke na main war ko support karta hun na main war ke against hun. Main neutral hun… Jaise geopolitically dekha jaye to Israel-Iran war mein, New Zealand aur Iceland jaise desh keh sakte hain ke hum neutral hain yahan kyunki geographically itni dur hain ke uska unpe asar nahi padh raha hai… lekin insaaniyat unmein hoti hai jo iss position mein rehte hue bhi saahi ka side chunte hain. (If bombs aren’t falling on your home, you can afford to say you’re neutral – that you neither support the war nor oppose it. You can claim neutrality… Geopolitically speaking, in a conflict like the Israel-Iran war, countries such as New Zealand and Iceland can say they’re neutral because they’re so geographically distant that it doesn’t directly affect them. But true humanity lies in those who, even from a position like that, still choose to stand on the side of what’s right).”
Dhruv Rathee’s Criticism of Chopra’s Neutrality
At this point, Dhruv hailed Spain and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for defying US President Donald Trump’s request to jointly operate bases in southern Spain to attack Iran . He also called out Bollywood stars for their silence.
Dhruv shared, “Aise hi yeh Hollywood stars yeh position of privilege mein hain. Inke gharon pe bomb nahi gir rahe hain lekin phir bhi woh ek moral stand le rahe hain… Yeh badi unfortunate cheez hai ke humare zyada tar top Bollywood stars itne darpok hain ya selfish hai ki ek simple sa moral stand lene se phele hi yeh 100 baar sochenge ke humare power mein jo baithe hue log hain unke saath connection toh affect nahi ho jayenge, humari film par iska kya asar hoga, humari sponship aur humari earning pe iska kya asar padega. Aur phir 100 baar apni PR teams se puchne ke ek PR statement denge.”
It translates to, “Similarly, these Hollywood stars are in a position of privilege. Bombs aren’t falling on their homes, yet they still take a moral stand… It’s quite unfortunate that many of our top Bollywood stars are either so fearful or so selfish that even before taking a simple moral stand, they will think a hundred times – how it will affect their connections with those in power, what impact it will have on their films, their sponsorships, and their earnings. And then, after consulting their PR teams endlessly, they would finally put out a statement.”
The Privilege of Neutrality: Rathee’s Perspective
Dhruv went on to slam Priyanka for staying mum despite being a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, saying, “Aur Priyanka Chopra toh UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador hain. Agar itni simple cheezon pe stand nahi le sakte toh kiss baat ki ambassdor ho (And Priyanka Chopra is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. If she can’t take a stand on something this simple, then what kind of ambassador is she).”
Just presenting the award, Javier, who wore a ‘No to War’ pin on his tuxedo, said, “No to war and Free Palestine.” Priyanka, who stood alongside him, nodded along. Following that, the actors then presented the award, which went to the Norwegian film Sentimental Value.
Since the broadcast, Priyanka’s reaction to Javier’s statement has triggered mixed reactions across social media, with social media users divided over the viral moment. Meanwhile, Priyanka has not reacted or commented on the buzz around her reaction yet.
Dhruv Rathee’s critique raises questions about the responsibility of celebrities to take a stand on global issues. The debate highlights the complexities of neutrality versus activism in the public eye, especially for Bollywood stars.
