02 November,2026 07:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Shafaq Naaz. Pics via Instagram
Actress Shafaq Naaz has reacted to trolls who recently criticised her for celebrating Karwa Chauth and applying sindoor. The trolls even questioned her religious identity after her post. The actress expressed disappointment over the abuse and disrespect in her comment section. She added that some social media users had even questioned whether she had converted after observing the Hindu festival.
The actress said, "So, recently I have posted a few pictures of me celebrating Karwa Chauth. I was wearing a red saree, sindoor. Honestly, I felt those were decent pictures and suddenly I am seeing this abuse, trolling and so much disrespect from everyone in my comment section and apparently, if you apply sindoor, your religion gets converted."
She further added, "So, firstly, let me clarify this one thing. Those who are not aware, let me just give you this information. My husband's name is Zeeshan. He is Muslim. Okay. And second thing, just because I applied Sindoor I don't remain a Muslim anymore. Is my religion so halka? Kya religion itna halka hai?"
Speaking about India's cultural diversity, she said, "This is the beauty of India because we have so many cultures and how does celebrating something, some festival, like why would you not celebrate? And I have been doing that."
She further emphasised that religion is a personal matter saying, "I believe in that. This is my belief, I am not forcing you to do something. You do whatever you want to do in your life. You can't tell me what I should do and what I shouldn't do. I can't sit here and tell you how much time I am praying, how much I fast, what all things I do. Religion is a very personal thing. It's a belief. I will do whatever I can in my capacity and what I want to do. You should not force and you should not judge. And if you really want to judge, if you don't like my belief, then don't follow me. Leave me. I don't have any problem. I am happy."
The actress also stated that she has worked in several mythological shows and admires different cultures. She said, "I have done a lot of mytho shows. I have always been very fascinated. I respect every culture, every person. And for me, my religion teaches me to respect, not to disrespect. And it doesn't teach us that we are very big or they are very small or they are big or we are small. No, we are all equal. And respect is a must. And you should always give respect to everyone."
She finally concluded her message saying, "So I will do whatever I will. It's my religion. It's my belief. My religion is mine. It's my personal. And I will post pictures on Eid. I will do it on Diwali. I will do it on Holi. I will do it on everything. I will do whatever I like. You cannot come and dictate to me that if that is making you uncomfortable, no problem. You can unfollow me. I don't have any problem. No issues. I will not stop believing what I believe. So thank you very much. And please stop fighting."
Shafaq recently shared a series of pictures dressed up for Karwa Chauth on her social media account. She is seen wearing a traditional red saree, sindoor and red bangles while holding a sieve, traditionally used during the festival. She also shared pictures posing with her husband, Zeeshan, and their pet dog.
Alongside the pictures, she wrote, "All dressed up for the man who has seen me at my absolute worst. Happy karva chauth"
Shafaq, who is known for her performances in television shows such as Mahabharat, and Chidiya Ghar, tied the knot with Zeeshan in June this year.
