Vikrant Massey Reveals His Brother Converted To Islam At 17: 'My Family Let Him Change His Religion'

Actor Vikrant Massey, whose last film ‘12th Fail’ won him both accolades and awards, has a Sikh mother, a Christian father, a brother who converted to Islam, and a Hindu wife.

New Delhi: Actor Vikrant Massey, whose last film ‘12th Fail’ won him both accolades and awards, recently opened up about his diverse family background. The actor has a Sikh mother, a Christian father, a brother who converted to Islam, and a Hindu wife. Vikrant shared that his brother converted to Islam when he was 17. 

Vikrant on brother converting to Islam
In the latest episode of ‘Unfiltered by Samdish’, Vikrant Massey shared about growing up in a household where diverse religious beliefs coexisted. He said, "From a young age, I have seen a lot of arguments related to religion and spirituality." 

Vikrant opened up about his elder brother's decision to convert to Islam at the age of 17, emphasising the family's supportive stance. “My brother’s name is Moeen, I am called Vikrant. You’d wonder why the name Moeen? He converted to Islam, my family let him change his religion. They said, ‘Beta, if you find satisfaction in this, then go ahead.’ He converted at the age of 17, it is a big step. My mother is Sikhni, my father is church-going Christian, he goes to church twice a week. From a young age, I have seen a lot of arguments related to religion and spirituality,” he told Smadish. 

Addressing questions from extended relatives about his brother's conversion, Vikrant shared his father's response, "He is my son, he is only answerable to me and has all the rights to choose what he wants." This episode, according to Vikrant, triggered his own quest to understand the nature of religion, leading him to the realization that it is man-made. 

Vikrant on his baby boy
The actor, who recently became a father, expressed his commitment to instilling rationalism in his baby boy, while also acknowledging and respecting certain aspects of Indian culture.  

“Especially in the Hindu culture, I do believe in them. It is only because of my cultural affiliation; it doesn’t need to be religious. This is the culture of the majority people of my country. Diwali is celebrated only in India, so I celebrate it as well. It is my muscle memory, my childhood memory,” he said in the interview. 

Highlighting the harmonious blend of religious practices within his family, Vikrant explained, "My father goes to church twice a week, but he also does puja with my mother and my wife. So, it is a beautiful house." 

Vikrant married Sheetal Thakur in February 2022, they became parents to a baby on February 7, 2024.