Aamir Khan, Mohammad Kaif, Gautam Gambhir come out to bat for 'Dangal' girl Zaira Wasim

NEW DELHI: In a strong push-back against the online separatist moral brigade that shamed Kashmiri teenager Zaira Wasim for acting in biopic 'Dangal', several Bollywood stars and sports celebrities on Tuesday came out in her support.
The 16-year-old Srinagar girl who played the role of young Geeta Phogat, an Olympian wrestler, in Aamir Khan's Dangal on Monday apologised for her success, following public pressure from Kashmir that is still reeling under the effects of the summer 2016 unrest in which over 90 people were killed.
Both Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and Zaira were subjected to sexist abuse and called "Indian agents" by Kashmiri separatists and religious radicals on social media.
On Tuesday, Aamir took to Twitter saying that he could "understand and imagine what lead her to make the statement." Lending his support to Zaira, he wrote, "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." "You certainly are a role model for me!" he tweeted while asking Zaira's critics to leave her alone.

After Aamir's statement, several cricket stars came forward to register their support for the teenager. Gautam Gambhir who seemed upset over the treatment meted out to Zaira tweeted, "Calling @zairawasim "unislamic" for acting in Dangal or meeting @MehboobaMufti is naked suppression. Ashamed dat she had 2 apologise. To me whole @zairawasim episode smells of sexual bias. Can someone say d same thing 2 @aamir_khan @BeingSalmanKhan @iamsrk?"
"Men will be men. Insecure 2 see a girl like @zairawasim get wings. Sadly we think "Maahri Choriyan AAJ B Choron se kum hain. (Our girls are still inferior to boys.)" Gambhir wrote tersely.
Mohammad Kaif called Zaira a "superkid" and said it was a shame that she had to apologise. "What wrong did she do?" he tweeted.
Actor Swara Bhaskar posted, "To those demanding #Azadi in #Kashmir. U seem fundamentally undemocratic, bigoted n incapable of respecting any1 else's freedom." In a similar vein, singer Sonu Nigam tweeted, "May God give Sanity to this World. And a Bigger Perspective of Humanity beyond Religion and Patriotism."