At a time when entire nation is hailing Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's homecoming, Bollywood stars too welcomed the pilot, who was held captive by Pakistan for two days after his plane was shot down in a duel by Pakistani fighters.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan too cheered the moment and took to Twitter to express his happiness as Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman returns to India.
"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," Shah Rukh Khan wrote on Twitter.
Bollywood actress Varun Dhawan, Riteish Deshmukh, Preity Zinta also put out posts on the return of the pilot after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced his release on Friday.
On Wednesday, Wing Commander Abhinandan was captured by Pakistan Army after his fighter jet crashed in an air duel with a Pakistani F-16 and he fell into Pakistani territory.
On February 28, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan will release IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Friday as a 'peace gesture'. Pakistan PM made the announcement while addressing Pakistan's Parliament.
Soon after the news began doing the rounds of social media, Hashtag #WelcomeBackAbhinandan, #WelcomeHomeAbhinandan and #WelcomeBackHero began trending on Twitter in quick time. From politician to Bollywood celebrities, Twitter users expressed their happiness and wished for his safe return.
Edited by Chitranjan Kumar