Vida Samadzai was the second Afghan woman to participate in an international beauty pageant and was crowned Miss Afghanistan in 2003.
With the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and a siege by the Taliban in the country, the future of its citizens, women and children, in particular, remains uncertain. With stringent Taliban rules on the ban of music and art, the film industry of Afghanistan also faces an unclear future.
In the last 20 years, the country had made significant process and it is evident from its women excelling in various fields. Today we will tell you about Afghani-American model Vida Samadzai whose bikini picture created a huge ruckus in her home country. The model was also a part of the controversial reality show ‘Bigg Boss’.
1. Vida Samadzai was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan
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Vida Samadzai was born and raised in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. She moved to the United States at the age of 18 and graduated from California State University, Fullerton and became a citizen of the country.
2. Vida Samadzai was second Afghan woman to be crowned Miss Afghanistan
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In 2003, Vida Samadzai became the second Afghan woman to participate in an international beauty pageant since 1974 when Zohra Daoud was crowned Miss Afghanistan.
3. Vida Samadzai red bikini photos spiked a controversy in Afghanistan
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Vida Samadzai’s participation in the Miss Earth beauty pageant in 2003 sparked a huge controversy in Afghanistan, as the Supreme Court of the country objected to her wearing a red bikini on stage. They claimed that her attire was against Islamic law and Afghan culture.
4. Vida Samadzai was a contestant in 'Bigg Boss 5'
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After all the controversies, Vida Samadzai came to India and tried her hand in Bollywood. After working in the 2009 film 'Runway: Love Among Gun Shots', she was a part of 'Bigg Boss 5' in the year 2011. It was the same season that saw Pooja Mishra and Shonali Nagrani among others as contestants.
5. Vida Samadzai has been vocal of women's rights in Afghanistan
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Vida Samadzai has always been vocal about women’s rights and their education in Afghanistan. She also helped found a US-based women’s charity to raise awareness on these issues. She had previously said that she wants to become a leader and help women in Afghanistan, who have been deprived of their basic rights for years.
(All photos: Vida Samadzai)
