On Sunday, Zaira Wasim took to Instagram to announce her decision to quit Bollywood. She stated that she was not happy with her line of work as it interfered with her faith and religion. Though some people were unhappy with her decision, Zaira also found support from the industry. Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari said that the news came as a shock to him. “I agree that this news was unexpected, but this is her decision and she has the right to live the way she wants to,” he told mid-day.
The filmmaker, who along with Aamir Khan, had finalised Zaira for the role in Dangal, said that they were thoroughly impressed with her audition tapes. “It is a loss for Bollywood since she is a talented actor,” Nitesh Tiwari said, adding that he lost touch with Zaira post Dangal. “We only met during award shows. Zaira must have thought about it before taking such a step, so none of us has the right to pass judgement on her,” Nitesh told mid-day.
Zaira Wasim will be seen in The Sky is Pink, which also stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Farhan Akhtar. The film completed shooting in March and is set for release late this year. The team released a statement that read, “Zaira is an exceptional actor and we are very lucky to have had her play Aisha Chaudhury in our film. She has been a complete professional all through the shoot. This is a personal decision, and we will support her in every way, now and always."
Earlier, Raveena Tandon seems to have taken a dig at the actor, slamming “two film olds” for being ungrateful to the industry. She took to Twitter and wrote, “Doesn’t matter if two film olds are ungrateful to the industry that have given them all. Just wish they’d exit gracefully and keep their regressive views to themselves.”
However, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah had extended his support to Zaira. Omar Abdullah wrote, “Who are any of us to question @ZairaWasimmm's choices? It's her life to do with as she pleases. All I will do is wish her well & hope that what ever she does makes her happy."
In a detailed text note on her Instagram page, which Zaira Wasim later shared across all social media platforms, the Kashmiri-born star said she realised "though I may fit here perfectly, I do not belong here".
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)