- Dipika Kakar embraced Islam before marrying Shoaib Ibrahim in 2018
- Her conversion was a personal choice, not influenced by marriage
- Dipika found peace and strength after visiting Ajmer Sharif dargah
Television actor Dipika Kakar's decision to embrace Islam before marrying actor Shoaib Ibrahim in 2018 was not influenced by their decision to exchange vows, her Sasural Simar Ka co-star Jayati Bhatia has said, dismissing a long-held belief among fans.
In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Jayati recalled that Dipika and Shoaib grew close while working together on the first season of Sasural Simar Ka.
"It is well known that Dipika gives her 100 percent to everything, whatever job she might be doing. When she got in a relationship with Shoaib, she wanted to give 100 per cent to that relationship," she said.
After Sasural Simar Ka ended, Dipika participated in several reality shows and later married Shoaib Ibrahim. Jayati said she once asked Dipika whether she had embraced Islam because of her marriage.
According to Jayati, Dipika said no and shared that she had been going through a difficult phase in her life when she visited the Ajmer Sharif dargah.
She said the visit gave her peace and strength, and she decided to embrace Islam because it felt right to her. Jayati said the decision had nothing to do with marriage and was completely Dipika's personal choice.
"I asked her if she converted because of her marriage. She said no. She was going through a difficult time and she went to Ajmer Sharif and it came to her that she wanted to do this, and she did. It wasn't because of marriage or anything; maybe she got her strength from this," she said.
She further said, "If she was getting strength from praying, she decided then that she would like to convert, and it is absolutely a personal choice."
The actor also responded to criticism that Dipika had "submitted" to her husband's faith. She said Dipika and Shoaib have always supported each other equally in their relationship, adding that Shoaib stood by Dipika during her health struggles, while Dipika has also supported his family over the years.
Dipika was diagnosed with cancer in 2025 and has been sharing updates about her treatment and recovery through her vlogs with Shoaib.
She also said, "Their vlog is called 'Dipika ki duniya'. It is not even 'Shoaib aur Dipika ki duniya'. She is known more as Dipika now, but people love her as Simar."
Dipika Kakar and Shoaib Ibrahim got married in 2018. They have a three-year-old son, Ruhaan.
