Indian television and film actress Ankita Lokhande has sparked widespread discussion after sharing photos on social media from a holiday in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with her husband, Vicky Jain — in which she is seen wearing a hijab.
She reportedly wore the hijab while visiting a traditional mosque in Abu Dhabi. Since posting the photos, Ankita has drawn praise on social media, with many describing it as a mark of respect for religious custom.
But the opposite was also seen, with a section of netizens sharply criticising the actress.
Ankita posted several photos and videos from her United Arab Emirates trip on Instagram, including images from a visit to a famous Abu Dhabi mosque. In keeping with the mosque’s visitor guidelines and religious rules, she covered her head with a traditional scarf.
Soon after the photos surfaced, a section of social media began trolling her, sharply criticising her attire and comparing it with her observance of Sanatan (Hindu) rituals only days earlier.
One angry user wrote: “Now go and ask those Muslim women to wear a saree.”
Another commented: “Some Hindus always dress up as secular, but no Muslim ever becomes secular — that’s the bitter truth.” Referring to the Jain faith, another wrote: “You are a Jain — just think about what you are wearing.”
Against the criticism, however, many fans and ordinary people stood by the actress, arguing that covering the head is a common and mandatory rule for entering any mosque, regardless of religion. They noted that Ankita wore the scarf only inside the mosque, as her other photos taken after leaving the grounds showed no hijab.
This is not the first time Ankita has faced criticism for hijab or Muslim-culture-related attire. In 2025 she was heavily trolled online for wearing a hijab at Mumbai airport and greeting photojournalists with “adab.”
Ankita Lokhande rose to fame opposite the late Sushant Singh Rajput in Ekta Kapoor’s popular serial “Pavitra Rishta.” She later moved into OTT and the big screen, playing significant roles in films such as “Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi,” “Baaghi 3” and “Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report