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Did you know Alia Bhatt’s great-grandfather ran anti-Hitler newspaper, was sent to concentration camp?
In an emotional post, Soni Razdan shares her grandfather's fight against Hitler to highlight the current humanitarian crisis in Palestine.
Bollywood star Alia Bhatt's mother, Soni Razdan took to Instagram with a deeply personal and emotional message, drawing from her family’s history to comment on the ongoing conflict in Palestine. In a heartfelt note, she spoke about her German grandfather’s courageous stand against Adolf Hitler and reflected on how the values he upheld resonate with the current humanitarian crisis.
Soni posts note on her grandfather who ran newspaper against Hitler
Soni revealed that her grandfather had run an underground newspaper in Nazi Germany, boldly opposing Hitler's regime. Eventually discovered, he was arrested, imprisoned, and sent to a concentration camp where he witnessed severe atrocities. Although he was later released due to his German nationality, he was permanently exiled from the country.
Soni’s post was inspired by a recent video featuring Jewish-Australian actor Miriam Margolyes, who stated that “Hitler won because he made the Jews like him.” Deeply moved by the statement, Soni wrote, “That is the saddest thing I have read in a long time… a terrifying indictment.” She reflected on the irony of history, noting how the very people her grandfather risked his life to help are now, in her view, inflicting suffering on others.
“I'm glad my grandfather is no longer alive to witness this. It would have broken him,” she wrote, referring to the ongoing violence in Palestine. “He had the courage to stand up to a tyrant, and now, the people he tried to save have become the oppressors.”
Acknowledging that many Jewish individuals oppose the violence in Palestine, much like many Germans once opposed Hitler, Soni emphasised that few had the courage her grandfather showed. She expressed a personal connection to the conflict, shaped by her family's past, and ended her note by calling for justice and compassion.
Soni's upcoming projects
She stars in a Netflix mystery thriller series alongside Parineeti Chopra, Tahir Raj Bhasin, and Jennifer Winget, directed by Rensil D’Silva and produced by Siddharth P. Malhotra. The series, currently in production, is set in Shimla. Soni also appears in Hari Ka Om, a father-son drama with Anshuman Jha and Raghubir Yadav that premiered at the UK Asian Film Festival 2025 in London and is set for wider release soon.
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