Former actress Zaira Wasim, who bid adieu to a promising career in Bollywood in 2019 after delivering award-winning performances in such films as Dangal (2016), Secret Superstar (2017), and The Sky Is Pink (2019), has reacted to a follower’s tweet on Twitter which had a picture of a woman eating with her hand while still wearing the niqab which covered her face completely.
The photo was shared on Twitter with the caption: “Is this a choice of a human being?”
Reacting to the post, Wasim replied that she ate the same way once. “Just attended a wedding. Ate exactly like this,” she said.
She added, “Purely my choice. Even when everyone around me kept nagging me that I take the niqab off. I didn’t. We don't do it for you. Deal with it.”
While most of her followers supported her on Twitter, others criticised her choice and opined that one could remove the niqab while having food.
“Stop telling her what to do what not, it’s her life and her belief so leave her alone”, wrote one user, while another added, “Respect for you. Respect for the sister who is in the picture and eating under the veil.”
"Shackles that make one slave. Even a bird starts liking a cage", read another comment.
Another Twitter user wrote, "Yes totally your choice, and everyone should respect it. At the same time, you should know that Sara Ali Khan gets abused/trolled for praying in Hindu temples and Ira Khan for wearing Bikini. Try supporting their activities as their choice."
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Sandhya Suri poses during a photocall for the film "Santosh" at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 21, 2024.