Bollywood erupts in fury over five-year-old girl's rape in Delhi

The Indian film industry has reacted sharply against the kidnap and brutal rape of a five-year-old girl in the Indian capital city of Delhi.

Actors Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Karan Johar, Shilpa Shetty and Anupam Kher are aghast over the latest brutal incident.

The little victim, who is said to be battling for her life in Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), has left Amitabh numb. 

He has hit out that rapists should be exposed in public and a jail term is neither enough nor the right solution.

The girl was kidnapped when she was playing outside and assaulted and kept in captivity for about 40 hours.

"The horror of the latest crime of rape and then attempt to kill a 5-year-old little girl, leaves me numb and without voice! These evil beings are not fit to be called animals... even animals have certain codes of conduct," Amitabh wrote on his blog srbachchan.tumblr.com.

"What is happening to us as a society, a community? Why and how are we succumbing to these atrocious and ghastly acts... who are these people and where do they come from... which mother gave birth to them, and how were they brought up... in which environment," he wrote.

"Keeping them bound and confined shall not change them or their thinking... they need to be made examples of... they need to be shamed first publicly and then left to the public to deal them justice in whichever way they seem fit."

Shilpa Shetty posted, "Disgusted with the Delhi cop who slapped that girl who protested! What is our country coming to. When will this apathy end! Time to wake up. Strict punitive action must be taken against these offenders at the earliest."

Bollywood's ace director Karan Johar said, "Shocked and disgusted beyond words to hear about the rape of a 5 year old!!!! Are we officially a barbaric nation?? is morality extinct?"

Veteran actress and women's activist Shaba Azmi tweeted: "Anger and outrage against Delhi police is justified but we need to delve deeper 2 understand why we r becoming such a misogynist sick society."

Anupam Kher posted: "Sometimes, The evils of authorities are directly proportional to the tolerance and indifference of the people."