By: Rajini KG
March 13 2023
False: Bangladeshi actor Nazifa Tushi has converted to Hinduism.
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Fact-Check
The Verdict False
A photo of another woman has been wrongly used to make false claims about Tushi. There is no evidence that the actor has left Islam for Hinduism.
Claim ID a7824665
Context
A post claiming that Bangladeshi actor Nazifa Tushi, last seen in the Bengali-hit 'Hawa,' has changed her religion is circulating on social media. One Facebook user Purnima Biswas shared screenshots of two Twitter posts from the handle @Nazifa_Tusi and a screengrab of the associated Twitter profile. The Facebook post was captioned: "A bangladeshi muslim actress cheerfully returned back to her original root Sanatan Dharma Welcome to her with respect and freedom (sic)." The first tweet included a picture of a customized prayer room with idols and photos of Hindu gods, which was first posted last August with the caption, "It is my new mandir. Har Har Mahadev," and was quote-tweeted again with the caption, "No Fatwas can change my mind and soul…." The second tweet shared an image of a woman, supporting a 'tilak' (a mark made on the foretold by some Hindus), posing with a child, and was captioned: "After leaving Islam, Felling blessed in Sanatan Dharma." The third post has a screengrab of the Twitter profile alleged to be of Nazifa Tushi.
In Fact
Firstly, we sought to verify the photo included in the second tweet mentioned in the Facebook post. Through a reverse image search, we found that the same image was uploaded on the Instagram account of one Gourangi Gandharvika Devi Dasi. It was posted on February 25, 2023, with the caption: "Today is Day 8 for me of the "My Life is Good" challenge. I am to post photos that bring me joy (no explanation) because we all need joy right now. 10 days, 10 pics, 10 people. Please keep it going! Today, I choose @nandarani_d. I was chosen by Madhumayi Radha Devi Dasi." We found a video of the same woman posted on YouTube in May 2020 by a channel called Mayapur TV. In the video titled "Mayapur Kirtan Mela," the woman sings a devotional song. She has been identified as Gaourangi Gandharvika Devi Dasi in the video description. According to her Instagram account and the YouTube video, she is based in Mayapur, a town in the Indian state of West Bengal. This proves that a photo of Dasi, who does not bear any resemblance to Tushi, has been used to claim that the Bengali actor has converted to Hinduism.
There are also no reports by any Bangladeshi news outlet on Tushi's alleged conversion to Hinduism. Nazifa Tushi and her team have also not released any statement about any religious conversion.Logically has reached out to Tushi for a comment over the issue. We will update the article once we get a response from her.
Speaking to India Today, the actor said she does not have a Twitter account, and her social media presence is limited to Facebook and Instagram. This indicates that the Twitter account used to share alleged updates about the actor's personal life and religious beliefs impersonates Tushi. Logically found that the account was created in 2014, and almost all its tweets have been in Hindi or English. The account shares a lot of updates on Indian news, apart from praising Hinduism and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Verdict
Image of another woman and tweets from a Twitter account impersonating Bangladeshi actor Nazifa Tushi have been used to claim that she has converted to Hinduism. There are also no credible news reports regarding the actor's alleged conversion. Therefore, we mark this claim false.
