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Netizens in India are not happy with top Bollywood actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh as the power couple has been slammed on social media for the name of their newborn baby girl. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
Padukone, who gave birth to a baby girl in September, shared a picture of the newborn on Instagram during Diwali, one of the biggest Hindu festivals of the year. They captioned the post: “Dua Padukone Singh. ‘Dua’: meaning a Prayer. Because she is the answer to our Prayers. Our hearts are filled with Love & Gratitude.”
Dua, an Arabic world which means “prayers or supplication”, holds special meaning in Islam because it refers to invocation and worship directed to God.
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The post drew sharp reaction from Indians who criticized the couple for choosing an Islamic name rather than one from Hindu traditions.
The post was flooded with comments like “Why not ‘prarthana’ instead of ‘dua’?”, questioning that couple’s wisdom for not choosing Hindi or Sanskrit term for the prayer.
It is worth mentioning that “Prarthana” or “prathna,” which is derived from the original Sanskrit word also means “prayer” is a part of Hindu worship practices.
Padukone and Singh, being Hindus themselves, had traditional Hindu and Sikh wedding ceremonies, honoring their roots since Ranveer’s paternal grandfather was a Sikh.
However, some fans came to the couple’s defense amid the backlash, terming the criticism as “absurd.” “Why are you pressed over a child’s name that isn’t yours?” one person said.
It should be noted that India has witnessed a sharp rise in Hindu nationalist groups promoting hate speech in recent years. A US-based India Hate Lab report claimed that India averaged two cases of anti-Muslim hate speech each day in 2023.
