‘Zaira Wasim, you are my role model’ tweets Aamir Khan

MUMBAI: Actor Aamir Khan has responded on Twitter after his young Dangal co-star Zaira Wasim posted an apologetic letter on Facebook, deleted later after drawing flak from some online trollers for meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

The 51-year-old actor took to twitter and said: “Zaira, I want you to know 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. You are certainly a role model for me.”

The Bollywood perfectionist also appealed to everyone to “leave her alone and respect the fact that she is just a 16 year old girl trying her best to deal with life.”

https://twitter.com/aamir_khan/status/821245282746646528

Actress-director Pooja Bhatt wrote: “And now we even consider it our privilege to devour our young? Shame! Zaira Wasim needs to be celebrated not persecuted.”

Zaira Wasim, who gave a sparkling performance by playing the role of the younger Geeta Phogat — a Commonwealth gold medallist wrestler in the Aamir Khan-starrer record-breaking movie, took to social media on Monday to post an apology for meeting state Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

“I am with Zaira”, become one of the top trending hashtags. On Tuesday, another hashtag “Kashmir stands with Zaira Wasim” appeared with scores of netizens from the valley coming out in support of the star.

“Like Tajamul (a Kashmiri kickboxing champion) and Hashim (another Kashmiri martial art champion), Zaira was also subjected to such petty politics,” wrote Mohammed Faysal and Khizer Humsaferani in a joint blogpost on www.withkashmir.com.

“So whenever there’s a success story out of Kashmir, the government and the Indian media use that as an indication of normalcy. Thus politicising the hard work and dedication of these remarkable individuals,” they wrote in support of Zaira.