Bollywood actor Vikrant Massey never shies away from speaking his heart and mind. However, his unfiltered opinions have often landed him in controversy.
The actor embraced parenthood last year when he and his wife Sheetal welcomed their son, Vardaan. Vikrant has previously stated that his family does not follow any particular religion. Now, in a conversation with Rhea Chakraborty on her podcast, he revealed that they intentionally left the religion column blank on their son's birth certificate.
On his son's religion
Vikrant shared that religion has always been a complicated subject for him, though he does believe in God and is deeply grateful for everything he has achieved.
"I think religion is a personal choice. For me, it's a way of life. Everyone has the right to choose their own faith. Mere ghar pe har prakaar ke religion aapko milenge (In my house, you'll find people of all faiths). Religion is man-made. Main pooja karta hoon, gurudwara bhi jaata hoon, dargah bhi jaata hoon (I offer prayers, visit gurdwaras, and also go to dargahs). I find peace in all of it," he said.
He said, "On the birth certificate of my baby boy, we left the religion column blank. So when it came from the government, there was no religion stated. Toh yeh nahi hai ki sarkaar aapko bolti hai likhna padega (It's not mandatory by the government to fill it in). The moment we received it, I put a dash in the column. I would be heartbroken if my son ever discriminated against someone based on their religious practices. I'm not raising him that way."
Netizens slammed Vikrant Massey for creating unnecessary controversy around religion, accusing him of using the topic as a publicity stunt
A user wrote, "Publicity! These are personal things - not to be used just before movie release.."
Another user wrote, "If you are a Hindu, then your child is also a Hindu, don't make him belong to some other religion.."
The third one wrote, "Success ka nasha & publicity.."
All you need to know about Vikrant's interfaith family background
Vikrant comes from a diverse religious background. In an earlier interview, he revealed that his father is Christian, his mother is Sikh, and his brother converted to Islam at the age of 17.
"My father was questioned by extended relatives about how he could 'allow' that [his brother's conversion]. He told them it was none of their business, he's my son, he's only answerable to me, and he has the right to choose what he wants. After seeing this, I began to question what religion really is. I realised it's man-made."
About Vikrant
Vikrant tied the knot with Sheetal in an intimate ceremony attended by close friends and family in 2022. After a brief period of dating, the couple got married and later welcomed their first child, Vardaan, in February 2024.
Following the birth of his son, Vikrant announced a short break from films to focus on his family and enjoy time with his newborn.
Work Front
Vikrant will next be seen in Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan alongside Shanaya Kapoor. The film is directed by Santosh Singh and produced by Mansi and Varun Bagla. He was last seen in Sabarmati Report.
