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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