Actor Chandu Salimkumar, best known for Manjummel Boys and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, has reacted to the political developments surrounding the recent student protests by taking a swipe at actor-politician G Krishna Kumar and actor-television host Pearle Maaney. Chandu's response came after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the Centre accepted the remaining demands raised by the student outfit CJP, bringing the protests to an end on Saturday.
The actor, son of veteran actor Salim Kumar, took to Instagram Stories to share a cryptic message against a saffron-coloured background. Referring to Krishna Kumar's recent social media post, Chandu wrote, "Kashmeeril kalleru nirthichavar, Delhiyil kalleru nirthikkan vannittu thirichu poyinnu kett, shariyano guys?" (I heard those who stopped stone-pelting in Kashmir came to stop stone-pelting in Delhi but ended up going back. Is that true, guys?) At the bottom of the Story, he added in English, "Saffron is my favourite colour."
The story appeared to simultaneously target both Krishnakumar and Pearle. While the first remark was seen as a dig at Krishna Kumar's recent social media post featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the line about saffron echoed Pearle's now-deleted Instagram Story in which she had declared, "My favourite colour is saffron! I think I love it the most on our Indian flag," while responding to criticism over her remarks on the student protests.
Krishna Kumar had earlier shared a poster featuring Modi with the caption, "Kashmeerile kalleru nirthan ariyamenkil... pinneya Delhi..." (If they know how to stop stone-pelting in Kashmir... then Delhi is no challenge.) The post drew criticism following the police action against students during the protests.
Pearle, meanwhile, found herself at the centre of a social media storm after sharing a lengthy Instagram post urging students to prioritise their safety while also expressing support for their demand for a fair education system. Many users accused her of downplaying the movement, and the backlash intensified after she referred to an unnamed "failed filmmaker" in a now-deleted Instagram Story, prompting a sharp response from filmmaker Sibi Malayil's son, Joe.
Although Pearle later deleted the Stories and softened her stance, the controversy has continued to snowball. The actor has reportedly lost more than three lakh Instagram followers since the row erupted, with her YouTube and Facebook accounts also witnessing a decline in followers.