On Sunday, February 26, Pakistani actress Ushna Shah got married to Austrian-Pakistani golfer Hamza Amin in presence of her close friends and relatives. However, as the pictures of Ushna Shah’s wedding emerged on social media her lehenga became a cause of outrage, as a section of Pakistani people brutally trolled the actress for wearing an ‘Indian style’ lehenga and looking more like a Hindu bride.
Ushna Shah shared her wedding pictures on her Instagram account and captioned it “I think it’s getting serious, @hamza.amin87 !”. Ushna’s wedding lehenga was designed by the Pakistani label Wardha Saleem. She wore a lehenga with a belt that was elaborately embroidered and a hefty assortment of jewelry, including a matha-patti, jhumkis, a choker, and a set of red bangles.
While some people showered the newlywed couple with congratulatory wishes and blessings for their married life ahead, others trolled the actress and flooded the comment section of Ushna’s Instagram post with hateful jibes and Hinduphobic taunts.
An Insta user (imemran10) questioned if the couple had a Nikah ceremony or took the ‘pheras’- an important ritual in Hindu weddings. While another taunted Ushna for thinking of herself as Deepika Padukone and being inspired by Bollywood.
Another user took the onus upon himself to school the actress about the significance of doing ‘parda’ for a Muslim woman as he commented that the practice of parda by a woman is considered more venerable than the blood of a shaheed (martyr of Islam).
Another Insta user was content that at least the couple did not take the seven pheras though Ushna desired to become an ‘Indian Dulhan’.
Pakistanis were also upset over Ushna in another Instagram post called her husband a ‘Maharaja’ a Sanskrit term for a ‘great king’ and wore bangles similar to the ‘Choora’ worn by Punjabi brides.
While some called the couple ‘third class copy of India’ others said that only a pinch of Sindoor (vermilion) was missing.
A Twitter user and a ‘staunch supporter of IK (Imran Khan)’ Zartash Chaudhry questioned why the Pakistani actress “dressed up as an Indian bride on her big day?”
Why is she dressed up as an Indian bride on her big day? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Y4gNoOpNPm
— Zartash Chaudhry (@ZartashChaudhry) February 27, 2023
Following the heavy trolling and receiving uninvited hate, Ushna Shah took to her Instagram story to slam the trolls. Ushna Shah posted a note on Instagram, uploaded a photo of her engagement ring on her stories, and called out haters for mocking her for her bridal look. She wrote, “To those who have a problem with my dress: you weren’t invited, nor did you pay for my shade of red. My jewelry, my jora: Purely Pakistani. My heart, however, is half Austrian. Allah humey khush rakhein.”
Notably, Ushna Shah is a well-known actress from Pakistan who has appeared in movies including Teri Meri Love Story, Oye Kuch Kar Guzar, and Punjab Nahi Jaungi. Ushna was born in Lahore and raised in Canada.
