Justin Trudeau's unlikely doppelganger on Afghan talent show sends Twitter into overdrive

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has an unlikely doppelganger more than 6,000 miles away.

A contestant on the Afghan singing talent competition "Afghan Star" has gone viral for his uncanny resemblance to Trudeau, 47, despite his not even knowing of the world leader.

"People have forgotten my name and now they just call me 'Justin Trudeau,'" Abdul Salam Maftoon, 29, told AFP. "I didn't know anything about Justin Trudeau until I saw the photos on social media."

The comparisons first surfaced on Afghanistan's equivalent of "American Idol" after a judge pointed out the similarities.

"He looks like my prime minister," Afghan and Canadian musician Qais Ulfat, one of the four judges, said while comparing Maftoon's voice to another famous Canadian. "This guy could be the next Justin Bieber."

Despite becoming an overnight celebrity, Maftoon is focused on winning the title with the romantic folk songs that he sings in Dari and Pashto, Afghanistan's official languages. The wedding singer from Badakhshan is in the top eight.

"The resemblance has boosted my chances of winning the competition by 50 percent," the father of four told AFP. "When I go back to my hometown, people will definitely call me."

The final will take place on March 21, on the Persian new year's eve, according to AFP and BBC. "Afghan Star," which premiered in 2005 following the fall of the Taliban, is one of Afghanistan's most-watched shows.

Maftoon has never been to Canada, but didn't rule out connecting with his long-lost twin.

"I want to meet him if he wants to, because he is a global personality and I am a poor man from a remote part of Afghanistan," he told AFP. "We will see what happens."

Paste BN reached out to the office of the Prime Minister of Canada to see if he has any words of encouragement for his lookalike.

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