Actress Soni Razdan on Thursday clarified her earlier remarks on bursting firecrackers during Diwali, saying her comments were about air pollution and public health, not religion. In a post on X, Razdan, who is actress Alia Bhatt's mother, said her message had been misinterpreted by several users.
“To everyone on X who wishes to twist my post into something that it is not. I think you are simply unable to see the woods for the trees,” she wrote.
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Her clarification comes after several social media users criticised her for using the term ‘anti-national' in her earlier post about bursting firecrackers.
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“Let me clarify something, since my use of the word anti-national seems to have caused so much confusion. Bursting crackers is not what makes you nationalistic. And choosing not to burst them is certainly not anti-national,” she added.
“What I find deeply irresponsible, however, is knowingly contributing to the appalling air pollution that is making it increasingly difficult for people to breathe. If we are going to use the term anti-national, then surely putting the health of an entire community at risk for the sake of a few moments of personal pleasure is a far more relevant place to start,” she wrote.
Questioning why public health concerns were being linked to religion, she added, “And must every conversation about something as basic as public health be turned into a debate about religion?”
“This is NOT about religion. It is about AIR. It is about children falling ill, missing school and struggling to breathe. It is about the health and wellbeing of every citizen of this country, irrespective of their religion, faith or beliefs,” Razdan said.
“Please don't twist a simple message about collective responsibility into something it was never intended to be. Because these are your children too. They are everyone's children. And they deserve to breathe clean air. Surely that is something we can all agree on?” the veteran actress concluded.
On Tuesday, Razdan shared a post on Instagram raising concerns about the impact of firecrackers on children's health. She urged people to think twice before bursting them during Diwali. In her post, the actress highlighted how air pollution was affecting children's daily lives, with many falling ill and missing school because of poor air quality.
“Any parent of a young child will tell you how much their children are suffering because of air pollution. How many school days they miss because of illness. So if you tell me that, in such circumstances, it is perfectly alright to burst even one cracker this Diwali, I can only say that it seems to me to be anti-life, anti-health and yes... anti-national," she wrote.
She also urged people to make healthier choices for themselves and their children. “Health is a choice we make for ourselves and our children. Let us make the right one,” she wrote.
Dia Mirza's Diwali Pollution Awareness Video Controversy
Razdan's comments came amid the ongoing debate over actor Dia Mirza's anti-firecracker awareness video, which was taken down by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) following political objections.
The video was part of a campaign urging people to avoid firecrackers and celebrate Diwali in a way that causes less air and noise pollution.
The campaign faced objections from several political leaders, including Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam. Following the criticism, the civic body removed Mirza's video, while similar clips featuring Madhuri Dixit and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane continued to remain online.
Mirza later clarified that the video was intended to spread awareness about pollution and encourage people to celebrate Diwali in a healthier and more mindful way. She emphasised that air pollution was a public health concern and that efforts to reduce it could benefit everyone.
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