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Film review: Zaira Wasim shines in Secret Superstar

By Asjad Nazir

Starring: Zaira Wasim, Aamir Khan


Director: Advait Chandan

A young girl (Zaira Wasim) from a conservative Muslim family desperately wants to realise her dream of becoming a singer, but is largely held back by a tyrannical father. One day she uploads a YouTube video wearing a burka and becomes an instant sensation. But the path towards fulfilling her dreams is blocked by family pressure and her only hope is an egotistical music director (Aamir Khan) who is hated by everyone.

From the little girl trying to realise her potential to the family conflict, teenage angst and professional hurdles, this musical takes audiences through a range of emotions. This is also a beautiful mother-daughter story and tugs at your heartstrings from beginning to end.

Central to all of this is another incredible performance from Zaira Wasim, who last had an award-winning turn in Bollywood blockbuster Dangal. The youngster delivers one of the finest performances of the year in what is arguably the best Bollywood release of 2017. The family friendly drama will appeal to everyone including older audience members who will recall the times when they were young and dreaming big.

If Dangal was one of the finest father-daughter stories ever made, then Secret Superstar is certainly one of the greatest mother-daughter stories Bollywood has produced. This movie will stay in your heart long after it has ended. It is so much better than other 2017 releases that I give it FIVE STARS.

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A not happy young girl

Around 51 per cent of those aged 15 to 19 are already estimated to be living with a mental or behavioural disorder

iStock (Photo for representation)

5 reasons why two-thirds of UK teens face mental health risks

  • Nearly 64 per cent of UK teenagers could face mental health issues by 2030
  • More than 10.5 million Britons are expected to suffer from anxiety by 2028
  • Only 53 per cent of people with mental health conditions are currently in work

The scale of the problem is becoming harder to ignore. A new report from Zurich Insurance suggests that mental health conditions are no longer an outlier among British teenagers but increasingly the norm. Around 51 per cent of those aged 15 to 19 are already estimated to be living with a mental or behavioural disorder, ranging from anxiety and depression to ADHD. If current trends continue, that figure could rise to 64 per cent by 2030.

The implications go beyond health. Policymakers are beginning to link this surge to broader economic risks, particularly youth unemployment. Nearly one million young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK are already classified as not in education, employment or training, and experts warn that worsening mental health could deepen this challenge. Only 53 per cent of Britons with a mental health condition are in work, compared with 82 per cent of those without, according to Zurich’s findings.

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