Religion Nushrat Bharucha

Nushrratt Bharuccha is an Indian actress from Mumbai who has become a well-known face among Bollywood audiences. Born into a Muslim family from the Dawoodi Bohra community, she has carved out a place for herself in Indian cinema while maintaining a relationship with faith that is personal, open, and unapologetic. Another detail often noted about her: she changed the spelling of her name from “Nushrat Bharucha” to “Nushrratt Bharuccha” because of her deep belief in numerology.

A Dawoodi Bohra Muslim by origin and by her own statement

Nushrratt Bharuccha was born into a Muslim family belonging to the Dawoodi Bohra community, a branch of Ismaili Shia Islam found mainly in the Indian subcontinent. This is not an assumption based on her name or background: the actress has clearly stated it herself in public. In an interview shared notably by BrainyQuote, she said:

“I come from a Bohri Muslim family, and for us, food is at the heart of all our celebrations. We are used to preparing elaborate meals made up of five to six dishes.”

This community identity does not mean, however, that she limits her religious practice to an exclusively Islamic framework. Nushrratt Bharuccha says she performs the Muslim prayer, salat, while also embracing openness to other forms of spirituality. Asked about the criticism she receives from part of the Muslim community, particularly regarding her outfits or her visits to non-Islamic places of worship, she answered candidly during a podcast with journalist Shubhankar Mishra:

“When I post a picture of myself, people ask me: ‘But what kind of Muslim is she? Look at how she dresses.’ How do I deal with that? Like any other criticism. It doesn’t change me. It won’t stop me from going to the mosque or performing salat.”

To date, no reliable source reports that she has converted or changed religion. She presents herself as a Bohra Muslim while embracing a personal and plural spiritual approach.

A spirituality open to Hindu temples, churches, and religious fasts

What makes Nushrratt Bharuccha’s spiritual journey particularly discussed is her open relationship with religious practices from different traditions. The actress does not seem to present this openness as a contradiction, but rather as an intimate and sincere path. She has visited several very important Hindu holy sites in India, including Vaishno Devi, the Kedarnath temple, and the Badrinath temple. She also visited the Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, on the occasion of the New Year, where she took part in a sacred ritual.

Her connection with certain Hindu practices is not limited to cultural or tourist visits. She also observes the 16 Shukravar Vrat fast, dedicated to Maa Santoshi, a devotion traditionally associated with Hindu women. In addition, she has visited Christian churches. Speaking about her faith in general, she said:

“For me, faith is real. Inexplicable things happen, and that strengthens my beliefs.”

This stance has drawn explicit criticism from certain Muslim religious figures. A Maulana notably condemned her participation in a puja, the act of offering water (Jal), wearing a ceremonial shawl, and applying Chandan, sandalwood paste, to her forehead, considering these acts to be violations of Islamic principles. He is even said to have issued a Farman, a decree, asking her to repent (Tauba), seek forgiveness (Istighfar), and recite the Kalma. Despite these criticisms, the actress has not changed her position: she continues to affirm that her faith belongs to her and that she does not wish to subject it to the judgment of others.