Twenty-year-old Malayalam actor Meenakshi Anoop, who entered Malayalam cinema as a child artist in 2015, has triggered a lively discussion with a Facebook post in which she contrasts professed belief with rationalist thinking. In the post, she says that when people ask if she is an atheist, she prefers to reply that she is a rationalist.

Meenakshi wrote, “If someone asks whether I am an atheist, I would answer that I am a rationalist.” She goes on to state that “among those whom we think of as believers, some are the true atheists”, pointing to those who “steal from God, or use their position as God’s people to abuse others, including children,” despite appearing to stand closest to the idea of God. According to her, such behaviour reveals that “they know perfectly well that neither they nor their families will be punished by any God”.

Meenakshi draws a contrast with those commonly labelled atheists, noting, “I have never known them to cause any serious trouble.” She adds that “scientific awareness has helped me enormously to improve the quality of my life and to understand my surroundings correctly”, while also stressing that she ensures her position “does not inconvenience others in any way, especially not their religious or god-related beliefs”. The post has sparked debate in the comments and across other platforms about the gap between declared faith and conduct, and about the place of rationalism among young people.

Meenakshi is best known for her performance as a child actor alongside Mohanlal in Priyadarshan’s 2016 superhit Oppam. Her notable credits include Amar Akbar Anthony, Queen, Kaduva and Officer on Duty, among others. She was last seen as one of the leads in the recently released film Private, co-starring veteran actor Indrans.