Ishaan Khatter responds to fan’s question about his religion: ‘Jai Jesus, Shree Allah’

3 min readNew DelhiJun 18, 2026 07:34 PM IST

Born of an interfaith marriage, actor Ishaan Khatter identifies himself partly as Hindu and partly Muslim, because of his multicultural upbringing. His father, actor Rajesh Khattar, belongs to a Punjabi Hindu family, and his mother, actress-dancer Neelima Azeem, comes from a liberal Muslim household. Ishaan has grown up visiting temples, mosques, and churches, while respecting all faiths. During a recent AMA session on Instagram, the actor was in a rather jovial mood and gave the wittiest response to a fan questioning his religion.

During an Instagram ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on his handle, a user asked, “Your religion? I mean, I am getting confused.” Instead of giving a straight conventional answer, Ishaan decided to go the humorous way. “Jai Jesus, Shree Allah, Holy Spirit Di Fateh,” he replied. He also shared a follow-up story indicating he doesn’t believe in labels. “Nature, kindness, humanity, creation,” he wrote. Along with the caption, he posted a scenic photo of himself standing in the middle of a beautiful landscape with hot-air balloons.

Ishaan Khatter’s is also the half-brother of actor Shahid Kapoor. Both Ishaan and Shahid have the same mother, Neelima Azeem, while Shahid is the son of her first husband, actor Pankaj Kapur, and Ishaan is the son of Rajesh Khatter.

ALSO READ | ‘Shahid Kapoor is very soft from inside but has a tough exterior, Ishaan Khatter is stronger and adventurous’, says mom Neelima Azeem

‘Mixed-culture is our strength’

Earlier, during an interview with Filmfare, Ishaan had opened up about how growing up in a mixed-faith family, shaped his worldview. He said, “I come from a mixed-faith household. It was an inter-religious marriage. My father is a Punjabi, my mom is from a Muslim background. That was actually my idea of India and that kind of inclusivity, diversity – it sort of defines who we are as people. It is our strength that we have so many cultures and they mix so seamlessly, and the feeling of being Indian is not shortchanged by any of these faiths, it’s its own beautiful thing. That is my belief and the fabric I come from.”

He further added, “I did see instances where I saw both ends of the coin – divisiveness, hate, otherness, a lot of pre-judgement. Even before you know someone, know their life, know their experiences, you’ve already slotted them, put them in a box. That happens a lot of times. It starts with that kind of discrimination and it becomes more aggressive.”

Meanwhile, Ishaan Khatter was last seen in Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, which also starred Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor in key roles. The film received critical acclaim for its storytelling and performances, and was also lauded in several films festivals. The actor will next feature in a light-hearted comedy Jugaadu. Directed by Palash Vaswani, the movie also stars Abhishek Banerjee, Jameel Khan, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, and Punjabi actor Tania.