New Delhi: Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway was given a copy of the Quran by a fan at the London premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2 on 22 April. In the video, a fan is heard saying, “I have got this Quran for you. I saw the video where you said ‘Inshallah’.” Hathaway accepts the gift and thanks the fan.
This comes a day after Hathaway, who has been on a global promotional tour for the film, said “Inshallah”, an Arabic term meaning “if God wills”, during a recent interview with People magazine. The clip garnered millions of views and, in no time, was trending on social media.
While talking about ageing and life at 43, The Princess Diaries actor said, “I finally value the chill. I want to have a long, healthy life, Inshallah. I hope so.”
“Inshallah” is one of the most widely used phrases across the Arab and Muslim world to express hope for the future. But many online are dubbing Hathaway’s use of the term an “effect of Middle Eastern immigration”, while others theorise that it’s the actor’s way to cover up for her recent controversial film, Mother Mary, in which she plays a popstar who goes by the name of the Christian figure.
Whatever the reason may be, the now viral moment has divided the internet.
“Inshallah means, ‘If God Wills’, nothing wrong in that,” posted one X user.
“The Spanish word, ‘ojala’ meaning ‘hopefully’ comes from Arabic mashallah. Nothing wrong with cultural exchange, white people are just self-conscious babies,” wrote another.
Another said: “Extremely interesting. The effect of Middle Eastern immigration is wild. I don’t think it will reach a whole pidgin language, however, Americans will see such words more often as days go by.”
One user questioned, “Is she converted to Islam?”
The Devil Wears Prada 2 has Hathaway reprising her role of Andy Sachs from the hit comedy-drama The Devil Wears Prada (2006), alongside her original co-stars Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. New cast members include Kenneth Branagh and Patrick Brammall as love interests, along with Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, B.J. Novak, Justin Theroux, Lady Gaga and Pauline Chalamet. As per early reports, Adrian Grenier will not return in the sequel, which is coming after 20 years.
Director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna reunite with producer Wendy Finerman, anchoring the sequel in the creative team behind the original film.
The 2006 film was both a critical and commercial success, earning Rs 27 crore worldwide.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)