No prayers for Dua

Deepika and Ranveer face heat over daughter’s Arabic name

This is a collective sigh for all new parents, especially Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, who find themselves unexpectedly at the centre of a firestorm over, of all things, their newborn’s name. And what’s in a name, you might ask? Well, evidently, quite a lot when you’re a Bollywood star in the glare of social media’s relentless spotlight.

Recently, Deepika and Ranveer, both celebrated actors in the Bollywood universe, shared a heartwarming glimpse of their baby girl on Instagram who was born on September 8 this year in Mumbai. A tender image of tiny feet, captioned with the baby’s name: “Dua Padukone Singh. ‘Dua’: meaning a prayer. Because she is the answer to our prayers. Our hearts are filled with love and gratitude.”

Haters gonna hate

A name that exudes warmth, hope, and simplicity. And yet, within minutes of the post, a torrent of criticism followed. The bone of contention: the name “Dua,” which is Arabic for “prayer” and holds particular significance in Islamic tradition as a form of supplication to God. While a group of users earlier questioned whether the name was inspired by the famous pop star Dua Lipa, to a handful of irate commenters, this name choice was nothing short of betrayal.

“Why not Prarthana and why Dua? Why not Hindi but Urdu?” one user demanded, seemingly perplexed that the couple had strayed from what they deemed the “appropriate” Hindu terminology for prayer. Another comment quipped, “You’re Sanatani, right? So why not Prarthana?”

Now, if you’re scratching your head, wondering why anyone outside this family would be so heavily invested in a baby’s name, you’re not alone. But the vitriol directed at Deepika and Ranveer taps into a broader, troubling trend in contemporary India – and all across the globe – an environment where identity, religion, and cultural practices are treated as lines in the sand, and stepping across them, even unintentionally, can unleash an avalanche of social policing.

It’s not just that people are suddenly ‘concerned’ about cultural authenticity. It’s the way in which these reactions have taken on a tone of judgment and accusation. Let’s be real: this isn’t about names anymore. It’s about the currents of rising intolerance, where the very act of naming your child could be misread as a political or cultural statement rather than the personal, joyful choice it should be. And to think, just a generation ago, names were given with far less scrutiny.

But while social media hums with self-appointed cultural gatekeepers, a different voice emerged from a quieter, saner corner. “Why are you pressed over a child’s name that isn’t yours?” asked one voice of reason, targeting their question at those itching for an argument. “Can’t believe people are crying over the name only because it’s an Islamic word,” another added. “India can never grow up. Illiterate people are really fighting about the name If it’s Hindu or Muslim seriously,” said another user.

The bigger picture

Looking at the larger landscape, though, this incident is part of a pattern. A report by the US-based research group India Hate Lab shows that in 2023 alone, India experienced two instances of anti-Muslim hate speech daily. The report showed a disturbing rise in Hindu nationalist groups promoting such speech, particularly in states led by Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a country of 1.4 billion people and a mix of countless religious and cultural backgrounds, this escalating intolerance seems almost designed to fracture rather than unite.

At the heart of all this, you have a couple who, by all accounts, are simply thrilled to welcome their first child. Deepika, one of Bollywood’s brightest stars, and Ranveer, known for his larger-than-life personality, tied the knot in 2018 with a nod to both their Hindu and Sikh roots. The couple had a traditional Hindu ceremony and a Sikh Anand Karaj. So, the choice of the name “Dua” might simply reflect the personal resonance of the word, a name that felt right to them.

When a child is born, the name chosen is usually deeply personal, sometimes a quiet tribute to family history and a hope for the future. Imagine if, on top of sleepless nights and the steep learning curve of parenthood, you had to deal with strangers on the internet dissecting your choice, demanding you justify something so intimate.

On the other hand, the announcement was met with an outpouring of love and congratulations from their friends and colleagues in the industry. Ranveer’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani costar Alia Bhatt dropped a bunch of heart emojis. Zoya Akhtar said, “Beautiful,” and added a heart emoji while internet sensation Orry simply wrote, “Dua,” and posted a bunch of heart-eyed face emojis. Saif Ali Khan’s elder sister, Saba Pataudi wrote, “Beautiful, masha’Allah,” with many others following suit.