Shekhar Kapur shares his experience with racism as Rishi Sunak becomes Britain’s 57th PM: ‘I was beaten up because I dared to go out with a white girl’ | EasternEye
Shekhar Kapur shares his experience with racism as Rishi Sunak becomes Britain’s 57th PM: ‘I was beaten up because I dared to go out with a white girl’
Kapur studied Chartered Accountancy in the UK in the 1970s.
Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who is known for helming such cult films as Mr. India, Masoom, Bandit Queen, and Elizabeth, congratulated Rishi Sunak on becoming the 57th Prime Minister of Britain, by recalling a couple of harrowing experiences of racism that he faced when he first went to the UK as a student.
Congratulating the new prime minister, Kapur took to his Twitter and wrote, “When I first went to the UK as a student, Indians were most likely seen sweeping the floors at Heathrow. Or ran corner shops.”
Recollecting how he faced racial discrimination by his own friends and was beaten up for going out with a white girl, the filmmaker said, “My friends randomly called me Abdul and I was beaten up because I dared to go out with a white girl.”
“Thank you, Rishi Sunak, you are part of a huge global shift,' Kapur concluded.
Shekhar Kapur studied Chartered Accountancy in the UK in the 1970s. He worked there for several years as a chartered accountant and management consultant.
Sonakshi Sinha wore a green and white printed short kurta with pyjama and covered her head with a green dupatta.
The actor visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi with husband Zaheer Iqbal and shared videos on Instagram.
The post received positive reactions, coming days after Deepika Padukone faced criticism for wearing a hijab in a tourism advertisement.
Traditional attire for a spiritual visit
Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal shared a video of themselves walking through the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi for a new advertisement. Sonakshi wore a green and white printed short kurta with pyjama, covering her head with a matching green dupatta. Zaheer opted for a black shirt with green trousers.
Sharing the video on Instagram, Sonakshi wrote, “Found a little sukoon (peace), right here in Abu Dhabi! ✨🕌 @visitabudhabi #InAbuDhabi #ad.” The couple also posed for photos inside the mosque, reflecting a respectful approach to the site’s cultural and religious significance.
Fans responded positively to Sonakshi’s post, praising both her outfit and the respectful visit. One comment read, “So it's normal for Sonakshi but not for Deepika?? Both visited the same mosque, and both looked wonderfully amazing with their husbands. Can we stop trolling people and let them live peacefully?”
Others highlighted the spiritual aspect of covering one’s head in sacred spaces, regardless of religion. Comments included, “Your dress totally matches the aesthetic” and “Beautiful.”
The post comes shortly after Deepika Padukone was criticised for wearing a hijab while promoting Abu Dhabi tourism, sparking online debate about celebrity dress choices in religious settings.
Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal shared a video of themselves walking through the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi Instagram/ aslisona
About Sonakshi and Zaheer
Sonakshi Sinha married Zaheer Iqbal on 23 June last year in a private ceremony in Mumbai, followed by a wedding celebration at Bastian attended by several Bollywood personalities.
On the professional front, Sonakshi was last seen in Nikita Roy, released on 18 July. She has an upcoming Telugu film, Jatadhara, set to release on 7 November, alongside actors Sudheer Babu, Divya Khossla, and others.
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