Muslim actress's decision to quit Bollywood 'for faith' stirs debate

Tehran (Iqna)- Teenage Muslim actress's decision to quit Bollywood, saying she was not happy with her work since it was taking her away from her faith, has triggered a social media debate in India.

On Sunday, Zaira Wasim, 18, wrote a long post on Facebook, which she later shared on Twitter and Instagram, saying she was bidding adieu to what many referred to as a "promising" career in the Indian film industry.
 
"This field indeed brought a lot of love, support, and applause my way, but what it also did was to lead me to a path of ignorance, as I silently and unconsciously transitioned out of 'imaan' [faith]," Wasim said in her post.

Support and criticism

Although some people have criticized Zaira Wasim, but there are much support from her fans.

"I don't know what made you take this tough decision, but I am feeling sad," a fan named Khushboo Kapoor commented on Wasim's Facebook post, which had more than 17,000 comments and was shared over 13,000 times.
 
Omar Abdullah, former chief minister of the Jammu and Kashmir state, questioned the people criticising the teenager's decision.

"Who are any of us to question Zaira Wasim's choices? It's her life to do with as she pleases," he said. "All I will do is wish her well and hope that whatever she does makes her happy."

 

"Who on earth are we to judge #ZairaWasim and her choices. A spiritual path works for many people...May she find the peace she seeks with Allah' Saba Naqvi tweeted

 

Film critic Stutee Ghosh told Al Jazeera it was normal for people to be surprised and shocked because Wasim was a "role model, not only for the Kashmiris but even otherwise".

"At a time when religious fundamentalism is on the rise, choice and agency, especially for women, becomes complicated," she said.

Wasim's third film "The Sky Is Pink", alongside Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar, is set to release later this year and could be her last appearance in Bollywood.