Zaira Wasim quits Bollywood on a sad note, Raveena Tondon slams her

Mumbai : Actress Zaira Wasim has announced that she will no more be a part of Bollywood and the reason behind her decision is more shocking, as described by her in a Facebook post on Sunday.

With 'Dangal' actress saying that she is quitting from the film industry due to religious reasons; a set of mixed reactions have started pouring in. Some say, she has made the right choice, there are few who say her decision must be respected and there are people who say she must reconsider it.

Actress Ravina Tondon belongs to the third category of people who criticised her call. "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."

In a separate tweet responding to one from AltNews founder Pratik Sinha, Ms Tandon wrote: "Exit is your choice, reason, by all means. Just do not demean it for everyone else." Raveena Tandon also described the film industry as "one where all work shoulder to shoulder, no difference in caste and religion."

Ms Tandon posted a third tweet, also in response to another's, saying that she respected Zaira Wasim's decision but that it would have been 'more graceful if she hadn't condemned all as the reason for doing so.' 

18-year-old Zaira Wasim made her retirement announcement on the social media over the weekend. "I am not truly happy with this identity i.e my line of work" and described the workings of Bollywood as an "environment that damaged my peace, imaan and my relationship with Allah."

She had made her debut with Aamir Khan starrer Dangal, for which she won the National Award for Best Supporting Actress. Zaira was then seen in the second movie 'Secret Superstar'. Zaira Wasim has a third film in production, The Sky Is Pink, co-starring Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar.

In her post, Zaira Wasim explained she realised "that though I may fit here perfectly, I do not belong here." Acknowledging that she received "a lot of love, support, and applause," Ms Wasim also said that her choice of profession clashed with her faith: "What it also did was to lead me to a path of ignorance, as I silently and unconsciously transitioned out of imaan (faith). While I continued to work in an environment that consistently interfered with my imaan, my relationship with my religion was threatened. I discovered my lack of knowledge of the basic fundamentals of my religion and how my inability to reinforce a change earlier was a result of confusing my heart's contentment and wellbeing with strengthening and satisfying my own (shallow and worldly) desires."