Zoya Akhtar responds as netizens asks her to show 'normal' Muslims on screen

Zoya Akhtar's "Made in Heaven" season 2 was released on Amazon Prime recently. The episode 6 titled "Warrior Princess" showcased a Muslim wedding and how multiple marriage was allowed in Islam. 

Dia Mirza, played the role of an oppressed wife, Shehnaz, who tried to kill herself as she had to watch her husband get married for the second time. This episode faced criticism from the Muslim audience as it portrayed a wrong image of the religion. 

Recently, one of the netizens on Instagram asked the director if she will ever portray Muslim characters on a positive note. 

The user asked, "Zoya, can you portray a normal Muslim character in your shows. One positive story that is not oppressed."

To which, the director ressponded by listing a series of progressive Muslim characters starting with "Zaffar Khan and Tanveer in Luck By Chance. Imran and Laila in ZNMD. Farah Ali in Dil Dhadakne Do. Practically everyone in Gully Boy. Sarfaraz Khan and Leila Shirazi, Kabir, Faiza and Nawab in Made In Heaven."

In "Luck By Chance," Hrithik Roshan played Zaffar Khan, and Ashish Sawhny played Tanveer. Farhan Akhtar portrayed an advertising copywriter named Imran. In contrast, Katrina Kaif portrayed a stylish and carefree dive instructor named Laila, who was even seen riding a bike in "Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara." Anushka Sharma as Farah Ali, a dancer in "Dil Dhadakne Do" who, unlike other wealthy characters, lives entirely on her terms. In "Gully Boy," Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt played Muslim characters. Alia, Ranveer's courageous doctor girlfriend, beat up a female for flirting with him while Ranveer was an aspiring rapper.

Furthermore, Shashank Arora returns as the wedding planning agency's in-house photographer Kabir Basrai in "Made in Heaven" season 2, as does Kalki Koechlin as Adil's pregnant girlfriend Faiza and Vikrant Massey as Karan's boyhood friend Nawab Khan.