Shabana Azmi down with Swine Flu after participating in student protest

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi said she has tested positive for H1N1 (swine flu) and has been advised complete bed rest after developing a high fever. In an Instagram post on Saturday, she said she would remain in isolation for the next five days. The 75-year-old also used the message to express solidarity with protesters she had recently joined during the Chalo Sansad march in Delhi.Azmi was among the first prominent voices from the film industry to publicly back the ongoing protests led by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over exam irregularities at Jantar Mantar. She had joined protesting students and other citizens marching towards Parliament. Videos of her participation were widely shared on social media.Her support for the agitation continued even after she fell ill, with the actor saying she remained inspired by the courage and commitment of the young people taking part.Sharing her health update on Instagram, Azmi wrote, “My dear Mumbaikars, I was meant to join your protest yesterday, but I’ve come down with H1N1 and need to remain in isolation for the next five days. Even so, I want to express my solidarity and appreciation." "I’m receiving first-hand reports from the young people on the ground, many of them have taken part in a protest for the first time and have experienced how much their voice counts. I continue to be inspired by your courage and commitment and stand by you in solidarity,” she added. Participation in Chalo Sansad marchOn Monday, July 20, Azmi joined thousands of citizens in the Chalo Sansad march towards Parliament as the Monsoon Session began. Later that day, she shared photographs on social media showing herself alongside veteran actor Prakash Raj atop a truck surrounded by protesters.Welcoming reports that the government had finally agreed to hold talks with the students, she said the agitation remained “a peaceful protest” and rejected allegations suggesting otherwise.Azmi also posted a video of herself walking through a sea of demonstrators. Sharing it, she wrote, “Climbing up with the help of young colleagues to the protest site at Jantar Mantar to demand reforms within our educational system and an overhaul of the entire system. Allocate 6 per cent of GDP to education, public health and women’s empowerment to measure the success of our country.”She also shared videos of herself reciting poems by her father, the poet Kaifi Azmi, and said his verses reflected the price people often pay for speaking the truth.Tear gas, asthma attack and return to the protest siteAzmi later said she suffered an asthma attack after being exposed to tear gas during the protest in Delhi. In an interview with The Indian Express, the veteran actor said, “I am an asthmatic and got an attack because of the tear gas, but I had my pump with me, so I am okay now.” She said she was “respectfully escorted to a nearby building” after falling ill.After recovering with the help of her inhaler, Azmi said she returned to meet students who, according to her, had been lathi-charged during the demonstration. “Their spirit is unprecedented. My salaams to all of them,” she said. She had also spoken earlier about witnessing tear gas and police action during the march, while saying the protesters were determined to remain peaceful and continued to demand dialogue with the government.Why she joined the protestExplaining her decision to join the demonstration, Azmi said she and her husband, lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar, had first tried to raise the issue privately with the Prime Minister. “Javed Saab and I had written a letter to the PM on July 15 asking that they should initiate a dialogue with Sonam Wangchuk. We gave an assurance that we weren’t going public with the letter, that we were urging him in confidence. We received a reply saying we would hear back in two days. We waited and waited, and then finally came here,” she said.More about the protestThe protests have intensified over the past few weeks after educator and environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk began an indefinite hunger strike, which concluded on Thursday night. On July 20 students from across the country gathered in New Delhi and marched towards Parliament under the banner of the Chalo Sansad march.The march was stopped by Delhi Police, leading to clashes that drew criticism and sparked intense debate on social media. The protesters have been demanding talks with the Central government and are also seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.Azmi’s participation made her one of the few members of the film fraternity to attend the protest in person rather than limiting support to social media posts.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka SharmaPublished On: Jul 25, 2026 12:44 IST