Aamir Khan calls Zaira Wasim a role model; Javed Akhtar, Renuka Shahane slam trolls

A day after Dangal actor Zaira Wasim was forced to apologise for meeting Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar and actor Renuka Shahane have slammed trolls who attacked her on social media. Wasim's Dangal dad Aamir Khan called her a role model for the country. The 16-year-old had posted an apology on her Facebook account, only to delete it and later urged the media to not make a hue and cry over her post, which she claimed was not coerced.

Khan posted a statement on Twitter telling Wasim that the nation is firmly behind her and she is a role model not just for the country, but for the world. The Dangal actor urged people to leave the 16-year-old alone.

Akhtar exposed the hypocrisy of those who cry for freedom in Kashmir, but don’t give a young girl the freedom to pursue her dreams.

Actress Renuka Shahane, best known for her role in Hum Aapke Hai Koun..! (1994), came down heaviiy on Wasim’s critics.

Terming the critics "fanatics" and "losers", Shahane called Wasim’s criticism as bullying. Shahane expressed disappointment at Wasim apologising for her being called a role model. 

Meanwhile, Geeta Phogat has urged Wasim that she needn't apologise for playing her in Dangal. "There is no need for Zaira to issue an apology. She has not done anything wrong. We have made the nation proud by winning medals. It is a proud moment for the citizens of the country. Zaira has worked hard to play my role." Phogat told Times Now news channel.