Afghan acid attack victim gets her Bollywood moment
PARIS - France 24
Indian Bollywood actress Asin Thottumkal (R) poses with actor Akshay Kumar during a promotional event for the forthcoming Hindi film ?Khiladi 786? directed by Ashish R Mohan in Mumbai late November 27, 2012. AFP photo
On that cold November night when armed men stormed her home in the
northern Afghan city of Kunduz, doused her with corrosive acid and
disfigured her face, it seemed inconceivable that "Sameera" could even
dare to dream of a bright future. But a year later, the plucky Afghan
teenager has not only dreamed the impossible dream, she even managed to
reach the unreachable star – and a top Bollywood idol at that.
It happened on December 2, when a beaming yet slightly disbelieving
Sameera (name has been changed to protect her identity) finally met her
hero, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, in the Indian capital of New Delhi,
where she is undergoing a series of surgeries for her acid burns.
Sameera’s 30-minute meeting with one of India’s top actors was the
culmination of a long journey in a country that has been slowly making
remarkable strides in women’s rights. For the 18-year-old the quest
began months ago, when volunteers at an Afghan women’s shelter asked
Sameera what were her dreams.
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