Mumbai: Asim Riaz has broken his silence on claims that he had asked his former partner Himanshi Khurana to convert to Islam during their relationship.
The actor-model strongly denied the allegation and urged people not to bring religion into personal matters.
Taking to Instagram, Asim wrote, “I never asked anyone to change their religion. Not once. Matter of fact, I was the one who pushed you towards fitness. You’ve been in this shape only after meeting me, before that, everyone knew how you looked. So please, don’t use religion as a weapon. It’s a deeply sensitive subject, and turning something so personal into a reason for people to hate me is immature and only shows how low you’re willing to go for attention (sic).”
He also responded to remarks about their respective careers and financial standing, asserting that he had built his career independently.
Asim added that any claims regarding their finances could be verified through their bank statements.
“And when it came to my career, I never needed anyone to build it for me or claim credit for what they never contributed. Who has more money and who has less? Well, if you really want to know, the bank statements can settle that. But money was never the measure of character. Character is how far you’re willing to fall when you’re desperate for attention, relevance, or a few more views (sic),” he wrote.
Asim also appeared to address Paras Chhabra’s remarks about his past relationship with Himanshi, which were discussed on the former’s podcast.
Without naming Paras, Asim questioned the need to revisit personal matters from a relationship that had ended years ago.
“Years later, digging through old relationship and personal life just to create more gossip says more about the person digging than the person being talked about (sic),” he wrote.
He also seemingly took another swipe at the podcast host, suggesting that he focus more on fitness instead of discussing other people’s personal lives.
Asim further appeared to criticise the use of sensational topics to attract views and boost engagement.
The controversy erupted after Himanshi appeared on Paras Chhabra’s podcast, where she was questioned about reports that she had considered changing her religion while dating Asim.
Addressing the speculation, Himanshi clarified that she did not consider the situation a conversion.
“I would not call it conversion, but he was telling me the good things about his religion and explaining everything. That is a good thing,” she said.
“He wanted me to understand it and accept it, but I was not willing,” she added.
Asim and Himanshi announced their split on December 6, 2023, following a relationship that lasted nearly four years.
At the time, Himanshi cited their “different religious beliefs” as the reason for their separation.
Asim later revealed that they had mutually agreed to end the relationship, choosing their respective faiths over their romance.