Actor Vikrant Massey, during the latest episode of Unfiltered by Samdish, shared how he is part of a diverse family since he was born to a Sikh mother and a Christian father. He also shared how his brother converted to Islam in his teens, and talked about his wife, Sheetal Thakur, who is Hindu.
Sharing how during the years of his growing up, he witnessed a ‘lot of arguments’ related to religion and spirituality, Vikrant said, “My brother’s name is Moeen, I am called Vikrant. You’d wonder why the name Moeen? He converted to Islam, and my family let him change his religion. They said, ‘Beta, if you find satisfaction in this, then go ahead.’ He converted at the age of 17, it is a big step. My mother is Sikhni, my father is church-going Christian, he goes to church twice a week. From a young age, I have seen a lot of arguments related to religion and spirituality.”
He further shared how his father was questioned by extended relatives about allowing the conversion of his brother. Vikrant added, “He said that was none of their business. ‘He is my son, he is only answerable to me and has all the rights to choose what he wants.’ After seeing this, I went on my own quest, wondering what exactly is religion. It is man made.”
The actor, who recently became a father, further asserted that he would teach their baby boy “rationalism,” apart from showing him things which are “authentically Indian”.
“Especially in the Hindu culture, I do believe in them. It is only because of my cultural affiliation; it doesn’t need to be religious. This is the culture of the majority of people in my country. Diwali is celebrated only in India, so I celebrate it as well. It is my muscle memory, my childhood memory,” he said.
Vikrant further stated how everything need not be religious but he does it because he’s grown up witnessing it, and hence, has become his lifestyle. “My father would do it. He goes to church twice a week, but he also does puja with my mother and my wife. So, it is a beautiful house,” he signed off.
Vikrant was last seen in the film ‘12th Fail’, and the Vidhu Vinod Chopra directorial emerged as the sleeper hit of 2023.
