Zaira Wasim Should Be 'Celebrated, Not Persecuted,' Tweet Celebs After Dangal Teen Was Trolled

New Delhi: Teen actress Zaira Wasim has received messages of support from several Bollywood colleagues after she posted and then deleted a Facebook apology, seemingly in response to being trolled for meeting Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. #ZairaWasim was among the top trends on Twitter this morning, with tweets from actors Pooja Bhatt, Anupam Kher and Swara Bhaskar, lyricist Javed Akhtar and singer Sonu Nigam. Zaira, 16, is a native of Srinagar and met Ms Mufti with her parents last Saturday. They discussed her career and experience of filming Dangal, starring Aamir Khan. Zaira played wrestler Geeta Phogat as a young girl, opposite Aamir as Geeta's father Mahavir Phogat. On Monday, Zaira posted a moving note on Facebook apologising to "people offended or displeased by (her) recent actions or the people (she) recently met." She later deleted the post.

Bollywood celebrities have tweeted that the apology was unnecessary but that it showed 'courage.'  Among the celebrities who have spoken out is actor Anupam Kher, a Kashmiri himself and who is active on the rights of displaced Kashmiri pandits. Actress-director Pooja Bhatt tweeted: "Now we even consider it our privilege to devour our young? Shame! Zaira Wasim needs to be celebrated not persecuted."
 

Dear @zairawasim! Ur apology letter is sad but full of courage. It exposes d cowardice of people who made u write it.But u r my #RoleModel. pic.twitter.com/fCF2zlzvzC

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) January 16, 2017

 

May God give Sanity to this World. And a Bigger Perspective of Humanity beyond Religion and Patriotism. #ZairaWasim

— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) January 16, 2017

 

Those who shout AZADI from the roof tops don't give an iota of AZADI to others .Poor Zaira Waseem had to apologies for her success Shame !!

— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) January 16, 2017

 

To those demanding #Azadi in #Kashmir. U seem fundamentally undemocratic, bigoted n incapable of respecting any1 else's freedom #ZairaWasim

— Swara Bhaskar (@ReallySwara) January 16, 2017

 

It must take extra courage to go after a 16 year old debutante. @zairawasim, you're awesome and don't let this get to you

— Tanmay Bhat (@thetanmay) January 16, 2017

Wrestler Geeta Phogat, who Zaira played in Dangal, tweeted:
 

#ZairaWasim we are proud of you dear don't worry and stand strong pic.twitter.com/6bHQZHXou9

— geeta phogat (@geeta_phogat) January 16, 2017

In her deleted post, Zaira also wrote: "I hope people can also understand there are certain circumstances that emerge which one cannot control and I hope people still remember that I'm a just a 16 year old girl and I hope you treat me accordingly." She later tweeted about being upset that her post had been 'turned into national news' and urged that it not be 'blown out of proportion.' Later, she deleted her tweet as well.

Mehbooba Mufti said on Monday, "When it comes to talent, youngsters from Jammu and Kashmir are next to none and we must celebrate them and not those who post their photos on Facebook with guns in their hands." On Twitter, opposition leader Omar Abdullah wrote: "A 16-year-old shouldn't be forced to apologise and that too allegedly for meeting Mehbooba Mufti. What are we coming to." Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Zaira is indeed a good actress. It is wrong to force her to apologise on Facebook for meeting Mehbooba Mufti."

Dangal, which released on December 23 and has made over Rs 370 crores, is Zaira Wasim's first major film. She has also been cast in Secret Superstar, to be produced by Aamir Khan, who also has a special appearance in it.