A Hindu spiritual guru who heads one of India's right-wing political parties lauded Kashmiri actress Zaira Wasim for quitting the film industry to become a more devout Muslim and asked Hindu actresses to draw inspiration from her, outraging netizens.
Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha President Swami Chakrapani tweeted words of praise: "Actress Zaira's (Wasim) decision to withdraw from films because of religious beliefs is praiseworthy. Hindu actresses should also take inspiration from Zaira."
Reacting on the issue, Chakrapani tweeted in Hindi, "Actress Zaira's (Wasim) decision to withdraw from films because of religious beliefs is praiseworthy. Hindu actresses should also take inspiration from Zaira."
Chakrapani, who often amuses social media with his controversial or provocative comments, appears to have done it once again.
धार्मिक आस्था के लिए फिल्म अभिनेत्री जायरा द्वारा फिल्म से किनारा करना प्रसंसनीय,हिन्दू अभिनेत्रीयों को भी जायरा से लेंना चाहिए प्रेरणा-💐स्वामी चक्रपाणि महाराज-राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष-अखिल भारत हिन्दू महासभा pic.twitter.com/AhJlq1seNS
— SwamyChakrapani (@SwamyChakrapani) July 1, 2019
Some users opted to mock him, noting that most Indian actresses are Hindu, and that Bollywood would need to hire cross-dressing actors or rope in “non-Hindu” actresses like Scarlet Johansson from Hollywood.
Wah re mullah,wah re chakrapani...ultimately may be we have to see men in women roles in Bollywood and Tollywood as in older times movies, if these fundamentalists won the battle😃😃
— Kripal Singh (@kripal66) July 2, 2019
That would be great move
— Iam Groot!!!🤠 (@Mr_proud_indian) July 2, 2019
That will make producers to look for actresses like Emma Watson and Scarlett Johnson's since almost 95 % of the population will not opt acting as a career
Given track record there is sky high difference between preaching and real life character and sexual conduct of religious persons Bapu Asha Ram, Ram Rahim, Ram Pal-- and Churches and Mosques sex scandals.
— M RAM (@mangeram0154) July 2, 2019
Uff God, these ppl have never known how sensible they will appear if they are silent.
— _Flower_ (@Flower86911945) July 2, 2019
On 30 June, the actress, who shot to prominence for playing the young Indian athlete Geeta Phogat in the 2016 blockbuster 'Dangal', took to Instagram to say: “Bollywood took me away from Islam”. In her six-page letter posted there, she cited interference in her religious practices as the reason for her decision to quit films.
