'Dangal' star quits film industry, saying relationship with religion threatened

《我和我的冠軍女兒》女星宣布退出影壇 稱與宗教信仰衝突

Zaira Wasim cites conflict with faith as main reason for decision


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kashmiri-born actress Zaira Wasim, who played a young Geeta in the Indian movie “Dangal,” announced her decision to leave the film industry, as the line of work interfered with her religious beliefs, she wrote in a lengthy Facebook post on Saturday (June 30).


Zaira Wasim (Source: Central News Agency)

"Though I may fit here perfectly, I do not belong here,” wrote the award-winning Muslim actress. She confessed that she was not truly happy in her working environment, which she says comes into conflict with her religious convictions.

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). While I continued to work in an environment that consistently interfered with my 'imaan,' my relationship with my religion was threatened.

While filming “Secret Superstar” in 2016, Wasim met then-Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti, who complimented her on her performance as an actress. However, since Kashmir is a disputed region, she was later pressured into issuing an apology for the controversial meeting after receiving online threats.

In her post, Wasim wrote that her journey in the industry had been "exhausting, to battle my soul for so long." She later clarified that her decision was made after thoughtful consideration after netizens claimed that her social media accounts had been hacked.