MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Aamir Khan on Tuesday took to Twitter to express support to Zaira Wasim who has drawn the ire of trolls on social media after meeting Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. "I have read Zaira's statement, and I can understand what led her to make that statement. Zaira, I want you to know that we are all with you.
The beauty is that bright, young, talented, hardworking, respectful, caring and courageous kids like you are a role model for kids not only in India, but across the world," Aamir Khan tweeted.
Zaira Wasim plays the young Olympic wrester Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khan’s latest blockbuster film Dangal. Trolled viciously on Twitter and Facebook for meeting chief minister Mehbooba, the teenager first apologized and later deleted the apology on her Facebook account. Aamir Khan and a host of Bollywood personalities expressed support for Zaira Wasim, calling out the trolls for forgetting that she is just a 16-year-old girl.
"You certainly are a role model for me! May God Bless you. Love. Aamir. P.S.: I appeal to everyone to now leave her alone and respect the fact that she is just a 16 yr old trying her best to deal with life," Aamir Khan tweeted. Other show business personalities who pitched in for the young actress were actors Shraddha Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Sonu Nigam and Preity Zinta and poet Javed Akhthar.
Geeta and Babita Phogat, the women wrestlers on whose life the movie Dangal is based, also supported Zaira. "Zaira ko maafi mangne ki koi zarurat nhi, usne kuch galat nahi kia; usne desh ka naam roshan kia hai. Hum sab uske saath hai," Babita said.