‘Love matters, not religion’: Sonakshi Sinha opens up on interfaith marriage
Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha has opened up about her interfaith marriage in an exclusive interview with Hauterrfly, shedding light on her relationship with her Muslim husband and emphasizing that religion was never a barrier between them.
Sonakshi, a Hindu, tied the knot with her longtime partner, a Muslim, in June 2024 after dating for seven years.
Addressing misconceptions surrounding interfaith unions, she clarified that religious differences never played a role in their relationship.
“We were not looking at religion. There are two people in love with each other who wanted to get married, and so we did,” she said in the interview. “He is not enforcing his religion on me, and I am not enforcing my religion on him. We never discussed religion—we don’t sit and debate. Instead, we appreciate and understand each other’s cultures.”
Sonakshi highlighted how both she and her husband embrace each other’s traditions while maintaining their individual beliefs. “They follow certain traditions at their home, and I follow certain traditions at mine,” she explained. “He comes and sits at my Diwali Pooja, and I go and sit at his Niyaz. And that’s all that matters, right? Respect for each other’s cultures is the foundation of our relationship.”
The actress also spoke about opting for the Special Marriage Act, which allows individuals of different faiths to marry without religious conversion. “Under the best circumstances, the best way to get married was through the Special Marriage Act, where I, as a Hindu woman, did not need to change my religion, and he, as a Muslim man, could remain a Muslim. Two people in love should be able to share a beautiful bond of marriage without any external pressures. There was never a question asked about changing our identities,” she stated.
Bollywood has witnessed several high-profile interfaith marriages over the years, including Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh, and Priyanka Chopra-Nick Jonas, each reinforcing that mutual respect and love should be the foundation of any relationship.