‘I'm 60, but look at these children’: What Prakash Raj told scared wife Pony Verma during Jantar Mantar student protests, Chalo Sansad march

Pony Verma has recalled the emotional conversation she had with actor Prakash Raj after he attended student protests linked to the Jantar Mantar demonstrations and the Chalo Sansad march.

Pony Verma said she was frightened

Speaking on Prema’s YouTube channel, Verma described feeling shaken when she saw what she characterised as alleged police action against the protesters. She referred to a lathi charge and pellets, saying she was scared and prayed while Raj was at the protest.

According to Verma, Raj responded by drawing attention to the young people sitting at the demonstration. He told her that although he was 60, the protesters were children, and asked her to consider their mothers.

Raj focused on the protesters’ families

Verma said Raj believed his presence beside the students could reassure their mothers. In her account, those families could take courage from knowing that he was standing next to their children during the protest.

She described that attitude as courageous, presenting Raj’s participation not simply as a personal decision but as an act of solidarity with the students and their families.

Why the recollection matters

Verma’s account offers a personal perspective on Raj’s involvement in the protests and on the fear surrounding the reported police response. Her comments centre on the relationship between public protest, young participants and the concerns of their mothers.

The episode also highlights the role that public figures can play in making their presence visible at demonstrations, as described by Verma.