Last Update:13 November 2024 21:27 IST

But recently, Vikrant Massey faced trolling after a photo of him touching Sheetal’s feet during Karwa Chauth went viral.

Vikrant Massey with his parents and wife Sheetal Thakur.

Vikrant Massey, known for his versatility and nuanced performances, recently opened up about his family’s multi-religious traditions and responded to criticism about his own religious practices. Vikrant’s family is a testament to religious harmony; His father is a devout Christian, his mother is Sikh, his wife, actor Sheetal Thakur, is Hindu, and his brother Moeen converted to Islam at the age of 17. Together they celebrate all faiths equally. “Respect,” shared Vikrant.

But recently, Vikrant faced trolling after a photo of him touching Sheetal’s feet during Karwa Chauth went viral. While many applauded the move, some netizens opposed it and criticized Vikrant for participating in a Hindu ritual. Responding to this backlash in an interview with Shubhankar Mishra, Vikrant explained that his family has always adopted interfaith practices. “My mother, who was born Sikh, wore a bindi and stood next to us during Karwa Chauth. “We have been going to temples since childhood and Mata Rani pandals were a regular part of Navratri,” he shared, explaining that respecting all religions was normal for his family.

He went on to talk about his father’s routine of visiting the Vaishno Devi temple in Katra six times and still remained a committed Christian, attending church twice a week. “That’s what India is all about,” he said, explaining that many Indian families blend religious traditions. “This is a part of our Hindustan and yet people find it surprising. There is a temple in my house and my son’s name is Vardaan. This unity is the fabric of our nation.”

Vikrant added that although his brother Moeen also chose to follow Islam, he celebrates Diwali and Holi with his family and performs Laxmi puja every Diwali. “My brother is doing Laxmi puja on the occasion of Diwali. His conversion (to Islam) is his personal choice. But we celebrate Diwali and Holi together here. We celebrate Eid by eating biryani at his house. “This anchor point (in society) is missing today,” he added.

Vikrant Massey, who is gearing up for his new film The Sabarmati Report about the 2002 Godhra train burning incident, focuses on depicting stories that reflect India’s complex social landscape. The movie will be released this Friday.