Zaira
Wasim
has
worked
in
two
big
films
and
bagged
a
National
Award
for
her
performance
at
the
age
of
16,
but
the
young
Kashmiri
actor
wants
people
not
to
consider
her
as
a
role
model
and
rather
find
their
own
path.
Zaira
made
her
debut
in
Aamir
Khan's
Dangal,
playing
the
younger
self
of
wrestler
Geeta
Phogat,
and
eventually
won
the
National
Award
for
her
performance
in
Nitesh
Tiwari's
biographical
sports
drama.
"I
want
to
tell
people,
don't
look
up
to
me.
I
don't
have
that
responsibility
on
me
right
now.
I
am
not
telling
you
or
asking
you
to
do
it.
Please
don't
do
it
in
my
name,
follow
yourself,
build
your
path,
create
it,
invent
it.
Why
do
you
want
to
do
something
which
someone
else
is
already
doing?," Zaira
says.
In
an
interview
with
PTI,
she
says
an
undue
pressure
gets
created
when
people
start
giving
labels
and
tags.
"I
don't
like
it
when
people
come
and
tell
me
'you
are
an
inspiration,
a
role
model'.
I
am
not
brave
enough
to
take
the
blame
of
your
actions.
I
have
seen
a
lot
of
girls
wanting
to
be
like
me
but
I'd
say
instead
of
following
my
path,
build
your
own," she
says.
"I
cannot
comprehend
the
fact
that
someone
can
dedicate
their
aspirations,
ideas
and
dreams
to
a
person's
life
which
they
don't
even
know
about," she
further
says.
Post
her
big
screen
debut,
Zaira
found
herself
in
a
controversy
after
she
met
Jammu
and
Kashmir
Chief
Minister
Mehbooba
Mufti.
The
actor
was
trolled
following
which
she
had
to
apologise.
For
any
other
16-year-old,
coming
in
this
much
public
scrutiny
would
have
been
unnerving,
but
Zaira,
rather
than
being
depressed,
was
sad
about
how
the
media
handled
the
situation.
"I
was
very
upset
about
how
the
media
blew
it
out
of
proportion.
The
way
the
media
represented
it,
it
was
nowhere
close
to
what
it
actually
was.
I
was
very
upset
about
that
fact.
I
was
disturbed
by
how
it
was
blown
out
of
proportion
and
misunderstood
but
it
was
a
phase
of
course
and
now
it
has
passed," she
says.
The
actor
has
put
the
controversy
and
the
success
of
Dangal
behind
and
has
her
eyes
now
set
on
her
next
film
-
Secret
Superstar.
Written
and
directed
by
Advait
Chandan,
the
film
chronicles
the
story
of
a
child
who
aspires
to
be
a
singer.
Unlike
Dangal,
her
character
in
Secret
Superstar
is
entirely
fictional
and
to
draw
references,
Zaira
relied
heavily
on
Chandan's
instructions
and
her
own
experiences.
"I
could
not
personally
connect
with
the
character.
I
come
from
a
very
supportive
and
encouraging
family.
In
this
case,
it's
absolutely
opposite
where
the
father
is
very
hostile,
rude
and
patriarchal...,"
she
says.
"I
am
a
very
bad
actor.
I
can't
pretend
and
act.
So,
I
would
fetch
one
event
or
an
experience
which
is
remotely
connected
to
the
situation
on
screen.
I
would
look
for
the
closest
emotion.
If
I
couldn't
find,
then
I
would
build
an
emotion."
The
film
is
scheduled
to
release
on
October
19,
and
one
would
assume
Zaira
already
has
more
movies
up
her
sleeves
and
a
possible
relocation
to
Mumbai,
but
she
dismisses
both.
"I
have
serious
doubts
about
leaving
Kashmir.
I
wonder
if
I
will
ever
be
able
to
(leave).
The
concept
of
stability
is
very
important
for
me.
If
you're
sad,
you
would
know
where
to
go,"
she
says.
"But
if
I
move
to
Mumbai,
I
wouldn't
know
anything,
+anyone.
Even
if
I
do,
it's
a
very
difficult
thought
for
me
to
leave
Kashmir.
I
don't
think
I'll
ever
be
able."
Zaira
says.