Katrina Kaif, whose real name is Katrina Turquotte, was born in Hong Kong when it was under the governance of England. Kaif is a true citizen of the world, having lived in China, Japan, France, England, Poland, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and Hawaii before finally settling down in Mumbai, India.
Kaif's father is a Muslim, but when her parents divorced when she was young, her father–and Islam–were out of the picture. She said:
My dad, unfortunately, and not out of choice, has had no influence on our upbringing, on our religious or social or moral bearings.[1]
As a result of her lineage and the fact that she's lived in nearly every region in the world, Katrina's religious views are highly debated and questioned. Perhaps that's why we here at The Hollowverse were asked to look into it. And look into it we did.
The verdict is that Kaif exists somewhere between Hindu and Muslim secular spirituality. Her spiritual exploits are widely reported, such as the fact that she often travels to Ajmer (a holy Muslim city in India) to pray for her films to be hits. But she'll also be spotted on occasion at the famous Hindu Siddhivinayak shrine in Mumbai.[2]
It made headlines in India when Kaif took time off from filming on location to visit a nearby holy Hindu site on the banks of the Ganges River and Kaif has made it a point to visit any nearby sacred grounds when she gets the chance–regardless of their ideological affiliations.[3] A source close to Kaif reported:
She's a spiritual person and keeps that side of her private.[4]
Yes and no, I suppose. Where Kaif shows up, it seems to be a media circus. As this video illustrates, her spirituality is both ambiguous and completely out in the open.
Global politics and first-hand experience
The reason for Kaif's transient childhood is her mother's commitment to private charity organizations. Kaif's many experiences with the destitute, poor, and desperate side of humanity at a young age give her a wisdom and perspective that goes well beyond the scope of one single nation's party politics or social disagreements.
Kaif's travels brought her to Berlin as the wall was coming down–at the tender, impressionable age of eight. She commented:
I remember the sense of extreme depression and misery over the whole city – and the image of everyone waiting in line for bread, that was the situation at that time, that image has stayed in my head for ever… Since I've seen so many huge, huge drastic things, my mind has become a little bit like, there are sections, and I rarely tap into those sections because there is too much information to comprehend.[5]
It makes one wonder what socio-political insights lurk behind that pretty face.
That's not to say the allure of power hasn't tempted Kaif. After studying Indian local political structure for a film role, Katrina was asked if she would ever consider going into politics. She said:
Never say never…If a political party that I believe in approaches me, I might just join them.[6]
Loading comments...