Shabana Azmi, a former Indian actress and wife of lyricist Javed Akhtar, has stated that although she is a Muslim, she does not offer namaz (ritual prayers). In a recent interview, she touched upon the subject of religion.

She mentioned that her father was an atheist, while her mother was a Muslim who practiced religious rituals to some extent—though not with great strictness. Her mother frequently uses expressions like “Masha’Allah” (as God wills) and “Insha’Allah” (if God wills) in her daily conversation; however, her husband, Javed Akhtar—who is himself an atheist—often objects to this.

Shabana Azmi shared that when she occasionally uses these phrases, Javed asks, “Why do you keep saying that? How would you feel if someone kept saying ‘by the will of Prabhu-ji’ (God’s will) all the time?” She added, however, that these expressions have simply become a part of her natural speech.

Shabana further remarked that she has never felt the urge to explore or take an interest in religion. “I am a Muslim; I enjoy Eid, the Urdu language, and the local cuisine—I appreciate all these things. But we do not offer namaz, and we have no such connection to religion. I believe that religion is a personal matter, and the state should not interfere in it.”