Hindi cinema, commonly known as Bollywood is world’s largest film production industry. Bolly wood films and dramas’ are played and telecasted in such a manner that, it attracts attention of people as film is actually an entertainment. In fact entertainment has made Bolly wood movies and dramas to earn millions. Bolly wood actors and directors earn name, fame, respect and wealth. India is a country of diverse cultures, art and religions. Many events and wars have been documented in Indian ancient texts. These Bolly wood films bring to light those events, wars, events, stories, arts and sculptures in real sense, as they happen just. This is why; Bolly wood is famous and successful to earn millions of dollars. As the time passed, Bolly wood earned reputation and work culture of industry developed, and talented people were invited to work in it. Fortunately the work culture was made secular or religion free and open dressed. In an interview, both Shahrukh and Samman khan in one of their interviews said that “acting is our religion”. In Bolly wood movies or dramas’, a Muslim has to play a role of Hindu or Hindu plays role of Muslim or Sikh. Music has made Bolly wood more interesting and attractive. In this atmosphere, a 15 year girl named, Zaira Wasim made entry in Bolly wood. She worked in Dangal movie, in which she played the role of Geeta Phogal in 2016,which emerged as the highest grossing Indian film grossing more than ₹2000 crores ($20 billion). She also worked in secret superstar. She in 2017, worked in” Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, which earned ₹969 crores ($150 million) and was awarded National Film fare award for best actress. In the course of it, suddenly, she changed her decision to quit Bolly wood. On 30/June/2019, she posted on her Face book page as she decided to quit Bolly wood, though she admitted the fact that she gained massive popularity, love and support in Bolly wood, but, it has taken her towards path of ignorance and away from the path of righteousness shown by Almighty Allah. As she admitted the fact that, it transitioned her out from Eman and lost inner peace, she decided to quit Bolly wood and change lifestyle. In her FB post, she credited teachings of Quran and guidance for consistency in Islam to her change in life style. She described reality of this world and hereafter world according to the faith and principles of Islam. She realized the reality expressed her inclination for choosing Islam her way of life. She expressed the belief that righteousness of a person and miseries of human lust are in conflict with each other. She described human wisdom, falsehood, righteousness, wrong doings and hypocrisy through the verses of holly Quran.
At last in her post, she prayed for her pious life. Her Quranic descriptions and decision to quit Bolly wood on religious grounds has inspired Muslims of the world. When Zara’s decision to change life style went viral on social media, it shocked Hindus and Bolly wood stars. Many actors and actresses offered their views on Zara’s quitting as Ashok Pandit tweeted “Zairaji, for me, art, music, and cinema has brought me close to God. Let’s not blame God for those decisions you earlier made have not yielded much. Wishing you all the best”. Actor Siddhartha tweeted “It is your life. Do whatever, you want. Wish you only the best your future. I believe, our art and profession is our life. We fight to keep religion out of it. It does not belong here. If your religion made you do this. May be, you didn’t belong her after all, Godspeed”. Her decision to quit Bolly wood became controversial. Indian Media is showing resentment over her decision to quit on religious grounds and her decision to offer religious reasons for quitting bolly wood on micro blogging social networking site Face book. Muslim leaders and molvis (faith leaders) welcomed her decision. Media puts the blame on Muslim preachers accusing them of threatening Zaira to quit Bolly wood but showed resentment over her Face book post for being a public figure, which can affect the plans of many Muslim girls to join bolly wood. At conclusion, we can say, film industry is a multi-religious industry having secular environment or religion free work culture of cinema, where men and women can work shoulder to shoulder. Zaira being from a well educated and Islamic family had good faith in her religion, which pushed her back to quit the Bolly wood. Bolly wood industry is not ideal a for Muslim as far as his intents to be a practicing Muslim are concerned. Zaira’s decision to quit Bolly wood on religious grounds shocked Indian Media and Bollywood industry. Zaira’s faith, knowledge and faith drove her to return to pious life and to satisfy her, she chooses to prefer spirituality over worldly life.
(The author is a freelancer. Views are his own, [email protected])
