While the entire country eagerly awaits the return of IAF pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, Indian celebrities hailed the hero's homecoming from Pakistan, where he was held by the country's Army since Wednesday.
However, the good news came yesterday when Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that Islamabad has decided to release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as a gesture of peace.
As soon as the news came out, Indian celebrities started tweeting #WelcomeBackAbhinandan and #WelcomeHomeAbhinandan, turning them viral.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan took to Twitter and wrote, "There is no better feeling than Coming back Home, for home is the place of love, hope & dreams. Ur bravery makes us stronger. Eternally grateful. #WelcomeBackAbhinandan."
Preity G Zinta was a bit more critical and descriptive in her tweet. She wrote, "People in America r shocked dat a 65year old Russian #MIG21 shot down an American made & sold #F16 at the India Pak border.This tells a lot about pilot training.The best plane is the one with the best pilot inside. #WelcomeHomeAbhinandan #RealHero #IndianAirForce #JaiHind."
Varun Dhawan too tweeted, "Welcome back home #WelcomeBackAbinandan a true hero. These humane actions give hope that all humanity is not lost. Bharat mata ki Jai."
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Riteish Deshmukh saluted the Wing Commander's courage and shared, "Welcome Back Home Dear #Abhinanadan - we salute your courage, bravery & service to our nation."
Bollywood director and producer, host of 'Koffee with Karan', Karan Johar wrote, "We salute your bravery and valour....we applaud your strength in the face of adversity....#WelcomeHomeAbhinandan," while ace cricketer Virender Sehwag welcomed Abhinandan back home as well with teh tweet, "How proud we are to have you ! Bow down to your skills and even more your grit and courage #WelcomeBackAbhinandan . We love you and are filled with pride because of you."
Wing Commander Varthaman, flying a MiG -21 Bison fighter plane, was chasing Pakistani jets which transgressed into Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday and crossed over to PoK where his aircraft was shot down. He ejected safely and was taken to the custody by the Pakistani Army.