‘Three Idiots’ star Aamir Khan advocates feminism in viral TV ad

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The Bollywood superstar who played a mischievous engineering whiz in the nostalgic film “Three Idiots” is being pro-women with his newest TV advertisement in India.

Aamir Khan is featured in the latest commercial for television channel Star Plus, wherein he portrays the role of pastry shop owner Gurdeep Singh. A loyal customer congratulates Singh for his successful business, for which Singh credits his children.

“That’s wonderful, you have very worthy sons,” the customer commends again. But Singh corrects him and says, “Not sons…but daughters.”

The commercial ends with a dynamic quote about gender equality and modern-day feminism at a time when women’s achievements and capabilities are still undervalued in India. “Success doesn’t differentiate between a boy and a girl. It’s the thinking that matters,” the clip ended.

BACKSTORY: ‘Three Idiots’ star becomes father through surrogacy

It may appear to be a brief 50-second skit, but Khan’s ad has stirred unflagging kudos from Indian netizens and has now been streamed 2.8 million times on YouTube and 6 million on Khan’s Facebook page.

Years after the box office triumph of “Three Idiots,” Khan, 51, continues to bag critical roles in Bollywood films and soap operas. His inevitable success comes just after he starred in “Dangal,” India’s highest-grossing film based on the life of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a wrestler who trained his two daughters to become professional wrestling champions, The Indian Express reported.  Gianna Francesca Catolico /ra

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