Shabana Azmi was hospitalized briefly on July 21, 2026, after suffering an asthma attack during a Citizens for Justice and Peace protest in Mumbai, where police deployed tear gas to disperse demonstrators. The 75-year-old actor and social activist was at the forefront of the gathering when the situation escalated, and she began experiencing severe breathing difficulty as the gas filled the area.
Fellow protesters helped Azmi away from the immediate vicinity, and she was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors stabilized her condition. Her family later confirmed that she was recovering and that the asthma attack had been triggered directly by exposure to the tear gas. Azmi, who has been open about living with asthma for years, was discharged after several hours of observation.
The protest, organized by the Citizens for Justice and Peace group, was one of several held across the country demanding action on a pending rights-related issue. When the crowd refused to disperse after warnings, police used tear gas to clear the street. Eyewitness accounts said the gas canisters landed close to where Azmi and other senior activists were standing.
Reactions poured in from across the film industry and civil society. Several actors and directors criticized the use of tear gas in a civilian protest, particularly given the presence of elderly participants. Opposition political figures called for an independent inquiry into the police response.
Azmi herself issued a brief statement from the hospital, thanking supporters and saying that her health was stable. "I went to stand with citizens exercising their democratic right. What happened should concern every Indian who values peaceful protest," she said.
The incident has reignited a broader debate about the policing of public demonstrations in India and the disproportionate impact of crowd-control measures on vulnerable individuals. For Azmi, it was a stark reminder that even a seasoned activist is not insulated from the physical risks of street-level protest.