Secular Bollywood Families: Kapoors, Khans and more

From Raj Kapor and Nargis to Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha, there are more Hindu-Muslim couples in Bollywood than in any other walk of Indian life. As the great Gulzar Saab once said to me, “When you fall in love you don’t check each other’s religious identity first. Mohabbat mazhab nahin dekhta (Love has no religion).” Gulzar, a Sikh, writes and speaks fluent Urdu. So did another Sikh litterateur Rajinder Singh Bedi and super-journalist Khushwant Singh. Here’s looking at 5 B-town families that represent the secular spirit at its supremest. 

Salman Khan

The Bollywood Bhai’s first girlfriend Sangeeta Bijlani was a Hindu, who later married a Muslim cricketer. Salman’s current girlfriend is a Caucasian Christian. He has never sought love on the grounds of religious identity. His home is teeming with liberal marriages. Salman’s father and writer Salim Khan’s first wife (Salman’s mother Sushila Charak) is a Hindu. Salim Saab’s second wife Helen is a Catholic. Both Salman’s brothers, Arbaaz and Sohail, married Hindu women. The former, who was previously married to Malaika Arora, is now seeing a Caucasian woman. In Salman’s home, Eid, Diwali and Christmas are all celebrated with equal gusto. 

Saif Ali Khan

His first wife Amrita Singh was a Sikh.  His second wife Kareena Kapoor Khan is a Hindu. Saif’s mother, the legendary Sharmila Tagore was happily married for 42 years to Muslim cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. The actor’s children are equally at home with Muslim and Hindu tenets. 

Shah Rukh Khan 

King Khan is married blissfully to a Hindu, Gauri Chibber. Shah Rukh’s three children have been taught the one-ness of God by their parents. They celebrate Eid and Diwali with equal fervor. No matter how much he is trolled for his secularism, SRK remains above religious bigotry. Kuch bhi keh lo,phir bhi dil hai Hindustani! 

Alia Bhatt: 

Her dad and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is half-Hindu, half-Muslim. Her mom Soni Razdan, who is Mahesh’s second wife, is a Christian-Hindu. Soni’s father is a Kashmiri Pandit and her mother, a German. Mahesh’s first wife Kiran is a Hindu and his children from his first marriage – Sunny and Pooja – are neither Hindu nor Muslim, or maybe both. Muslim-Christian-Hindu Alia is all set to marry into a Hindu family. Her boyfriend is actor Ranbir Kapoor. 

http://thebrownidentity.com/2020/07/25/bollywood-stars-questioned-in-fake-followers-probe/

Sanjay Dutt:

Dutt’s mother, the mythical actor Nargis and a devout Muslim was married to the Hindu star Sunil Dutt. Sanjay grew up knowing no difference between the two religions. Sanjay is married to Maanyata whose original name was Dilnawaz. He was earlier married to Hindu actor Richa Sharma. He has a daughter from his first marriage. In the Dutt household, Eid and Diwali are equally important. His kids don’t differentiate either.