Hyderabad, August 16: Vishwa Hindu Raksha Parishad (VHRP) National Mahila President Yamuna Pathak has condemned the reported online trolling of Telugu actor Faria Abdullah following her participation in the Bonalu celebrations in Hyderabad.

Faria took part in the traditional Bonalu festival at the Sri Simhavahini Mahankali Temple in Hyderabad’s Old City on August 9. Videos from the celebrations showed the Jathi Ratnalu actor carrying a traditional Bonam and joining the procession alongside Pothuraju performers.

Reacting to the backlash, Pathak described the trolling as “vicious” and said that targeting a woman for participating in the traditions of another community was unacceptable.

“I strongly condemn the vicious trolling and the religious targeting of actress Faria Abdullah merely for participating in Bonalu and offering prayers at a temple. Bharat is governed by the Constitution, not by religious policy,” Pathak told.

She further referred to the constitutional rights of citizens, saying that every individual is entitled to equality, dignity and freedom of conscience under Articles 14, 19, 21 and 25.

“Targeting or humiliating a woman for celebrating another community’s tradition is unacceptable,” she added.

Faria responded to the backlash on Saturday through an emotional video shared on Instagram. In the video, the actor became visibly emotional while speaking about her experience and reiterated her belief in “love,” “unity” and peace.

Addressing those who questioned her religious beliefs and called her a “kafir,” Faria spoke about her upbringing and her family’s interfaith background. She said her father, Sanjay Abdullah, was born into a Hindu family and later converted to Islam after developing an appreciation for the religion.

“My dad is a converted Muslim, bro. Do you understand what that means? He got converted to Islam because he liked the religion,” she said. “What kind of an upbringing would I have had if someone was bringing me up by showing me all the good things about a religion because they loved it so much that they wanted to accept it? I've always seen the good about Islam.”

Faria also said that she wished well for those criticising her and emphasised her broader outlook towards faith and spirituality, stating that she sees life and meaning in everything around her.

The actor comes from an interfaith family with connections to different religious traditions. Her father was born into a Hindu family before converting to Islam, while her mother, Kausar Sultana, was born Muslim and later developed a deep interest in Hindu spirituality and meditation.

The incident has sparked a wider conversation on religious tolerance, individual freedom and the right of people to participate in cultural and spiritual traditions beyond the boundaries of their own faith.