Just a day after Zaira Wasim announced her shock exit from Bollywood citing various reasons, Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday slammed the 18-year-old for making her religion sound intolerant towards career choices. Chaturvedi said that Zaira’s comments do a huge disservice to her religion and “reinforced the narrative about Islam being intolerant”. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also condemned her reasons to quit the film industry while a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson demanded an inquiry into her decision claiming that she has made the shock exit from Bollywood under duress.
The Shiv Sena leader took to her Twitter handle and launched a tirade against Zaira Wasim saying, “Zaira Wasim moving on from film industry is alright and the country wishes her well. To each their own calling. However, it was unfortunate to read in her letter that the decision was taken on the basis of her belief that it hinders her to practice her faith.”
Zaira Wasim moving on from film industry is alright and the country wishes her well. To each their own calling. However it was unfortunate to read in her letter that the decision was taken on the basis of her belief that it hinders her to practise her faith.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) July 1, 2019
Hindi cinema has seen many success stories of people from the same faith, does her reason imply that all these stalwarts didn’t know their religion?
Some equate her decision to that of Vinod Khanna, did he say his religion says that his choice of career blocks his faith?— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) July 1, 2019
Also to those who compare it to @nusratchirps fatwa, it is another worms comparison, please remember ever since Zaira joined the Hindi Film Industry she has been under constant attack from Kashmiri hard liners. https://t.co/5Owzd5HTXU
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) July 1, 2019
Priyanka Chaturvedi asked if Zaira’s reasons for quitting Bollywood implies that all those stalwarts who came from Islamic background didn’t know their religion. “Some equate her decision to that of Vinod Khanna, did he say his religion says that his choice of career blocks his faith?” she added,
Please practise your faith, if it is your calling, but do not use it to make your religion sound intolerant to career choices, which it clearly isn’t. This actually does a huge disservice to her religion & reinforces the narrative about Islam being intolerant.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) July 1, 2019
“Please practice your faith, if it is your calling, but do not use it to make your religion sound intolerant to career choices, which it clearly isn’t. This actually does a huge disservice to her religion & reinforces the narrative about Islam being intolerant,” Chaturvedi added.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also shared his point of view on the matter saying although he respects her decision to quit films, he does not agree that faith has anything to do with artistic expression. He added that such remarks give fodder to bigots on either side of the divide to misconceive and mislead.
While I respect Zaira Wasim’s decision to quit films & her creative liberty, faith has nothing to do with artistic expression.
Such remarks give fodder to bigots on either side of the divide to misconceive & mislead.https://t.co/df3SBPfT0l
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) July 1, 2019
BJP spokesperson Brig Anil Gupta had an entirely different take on the issue as he speculated that someone has threatened Zaira Wasim to quit politics. Before claiming that she has taken this decision under duress, he condemned Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah for staying mum on the matter. He also called for an investigation into Zaira’s decision to quit Bollywood.
5 years ago I made a decision that changed my life and today I’m making another one that’ll change my life again and this time for the better Insha’Allah! 🙂 https://t.co/ejgKdViGmD
— Zaira Wasim (@ZairaWasimmm) June 30, 2019
In the elaborate post, she mentioned that she felt like somebody else while she worked in the industry and that doing films has damaged her relationship with Allah.
