Muslim Bollywood actress Zaira Wasim, 18, has announced she will quit acting, saying that the profession “threatened” her relationship with her religion.

“This journey has been exhausting, to battle my soul for so long,” she wrote in a lengthy Facebook post on Sunday.

Indians on social media were quick to react to the news, with many criticising her reasons for quitting.

Ms Wasim rose to fame in 2016, when she starred in Dangal, one of Bollywood’s highest grossing films.

The actress – who is from Indian-administered Kashmir – detailed her struggles in the industry and the impact it has had on her relationship with religion in a Facebook post.

The post has since gone viral, attracting thousands of comments and likes.

“As I had just started to explore and make sense of the things to which I dedicated my time, efforts and emotions and tried to grab hold of a new lifestyle, it was only for me to realise that though I may fit here perfectly, I do not belong here,” she wrote.

“This field indeed brought a lot of love, support, and applause my way, but what it also did was to lead me to a path of ignorance, as I silently and unconsciously transitioned out of imaan [faith]. While I continued to work in an environment that consistently interfered with my imaan [faith], my relationship with my religion was threatened.”

She added that the career often put her in a “vulnerable” position: “It was always so easy to succumb to the environment that damaged my peace, imaan [faith] and my relationship with Allah.”

Her decision sparked a range of reactions on Twitter, with many questioning her reason to “invoke religion” as a factor.

Dear #ZairaWasim I respect your decision of quitting movies. I don't agree with the reasons that you've given. I think you're an incredible actress and you can do so much more with your career.

I genuinely hope you'd rethink and continue to pursue Acting…

Best wishes!!

End of Twitter post by @iFaridoon

Respect choice of Zaira Wasim quitting acting in movies but she can’t invoke religion and faith to justify this. Are others in the field some kind of sinners?This dawning of new reality should be her own truth & her own interpretation of religion. Period.

End of Twitter post by @hussain_imtiyaz

Religion is never against culture, arts and entertainment. It’s a proponent of it. To each his own. Religion must really be laughing at this. So am I. #ZairaWasim
Damaged My Relationship With Allah": Actress Zaira Wasim Quits Filmshttps://t.co/04zeHjDBng

End of Twitter post by @atikafarooqui

But there were others who came to her defence, including Omar Abdullah, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

Who are any of us to question @ZairaWasimmm’s choices? It’s her life to do with as she pleases. All I will do is wish her well & hope that what ever she does makes her happy.

End of Twitter post by @OmarAbdullah

An 18-year-old woman has come to a personal decision about her faith and career. It may not be the decision you would have made, or one that you would have wished her to make. But it’s still her decision. Let’s just thank #ZairaWasim for her work and wish her well. Case closed.

End of Twitter post by @dhume

Zaira Wasim is a mature lady and knows what she is doing. She is free to decide the path she wants to take. Her decision must be respected. However, this shouldn’t become another pretext to troll & harass women who wish to pursue their career in acting or modelling.

End of Twitter post by @ShameenMir

Ms Wasim’s next movie, The Sky is Pink, could now be her last. The film also stars Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra and is slated for release later this year.

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