Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor has weighed in on the Starlink licensing row, and his post turns a regulatory standoff into a story about power, respect and the way Western tech leaders respond when a country does not immediately say yes. He joins Kamal Haasan, who also reacted to Elon Musk’s claim that Starlink has been “blocked by certain oligarchs” in India.
Musk has stated that Starlink is licensed in more than 165 countries and has spent five years complying with Indian rules. His question, posted across social platforms, was blunt: if the company has followed every law, why is there still no licence, and is Ambani the “real boss” of India? India’s Ministry of Communications responded on Thursday that the authorisation framework for satellite communication services is fair and non-discriminatory.
The pattern behind Kapoor’s criticism
Kapoor did not treat Musk’s words as a one-off business complaint. Instead, he placed them inside a longer pattern.
- Thailand, 2018: rescuers did not use the mini-submarine Musk offered for the trapped Wild Boars football team, and Musk later lashed out at a diver.
- Brazil, 2024: after the Supreme Court ordered X to comply with court rulings, Musk called the judge a dictator.
- India, 2026: a delayed Starlink authorisation becomes, in Musk’s telling, a market protectively held by local interests.
Kapoor’s central line, quoted here in short, is:
“The script rarely changes. Only the country does.”
His larger point is that the colonial mindset is not always about ruling a country. Sometimes it is the assumption that you arrive as its saviour, and if the country does not welcome you immediately, something must be wrong with it.
Why this matters for celebrity watchers
This is not a film promotion. It is a Bollywood figure using his platform to frame a policy story. That matters because it can shift the conversation from regulatory fine print to a simpler, more emotional narrative about fairness and respect. For readers, the sober counterweight is the government’s statement: the licensing process is not discriminatory, even if it is slow.
The gap between Musk’s “over 165 countries” and the Indian regulator’s “fair and non-discriminatory” position is where the public debate will continue.
What to watch next
Keep an eye on whether Musk responds directly to the celebrity criticism, and whether more Indian public figures join in. Before sharing the most viral version, read the regulator’s actual statement; the details matter more than the outrage.
Source: Hindustan Times
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