Bollywood star Salman Khan recently said that he would like to meet 23-year-old Geeta, who has been stranded in Pakistan for 15 years.
Geeta’s story is coincidentally similar to one shown in his last film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, where Salman plays a Hanuman devotee and self-appointed protector to Munni, a six-year-old speech-impaired Pakistani girl lost in India. Geeta’s love for the storyline made her watch the movie twice!
Geeta, who is hearing and speech impaired, was spotted by Pakistani Rangers at Lahore Railway Station 15 years ago. She was handed over to an NGO called Edhi Foundation, run by Abdul Sattar Edhi and his wife Bilquis Edhi in Karachi.
The 23-year-old longs to get back home as soon as possible, specially after watching Bajrangi Bhaijaan. She broke down remembering her mother and four elder sisters while in conversation with Salman during a NDTV interview.
Geeta should be looked after well once she’s brought back to India. She must be having her own family and friends there. We should make sure her life out here is a lot better than it was there, otherwise phir point kya hai?
— Salman Khan in an interview to NDTV
Her guardians Abdul Sattar Edhi and his wife Bilquis Edhi in Karachi said that she often draws pictures of her home to help them locate it.
Apart from regularly keeping rozas during the month of Ramzan, she even visits temples to get her prayers answered. “She has grown up as both a Hindu and Muslim,” said Bilquis Edhi.
Salman thanked Abdul Sattar Edhi and Bilquis Edhi for taking care of her since she was 4 years-old. He praised her upbringing and said that Geeta is lucky to have them and should consider continue staying with them, in case we fail to find her birth parents.
“The government is trying hard to search for Geeta’s mother and father,” the actor said.