An Afghan talent show contestant's striking resemblance to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has turned him into an unlikely celebrity in the war-torn country - and potentially given him the winning edge.
Abdul Salam Maftoon is a wedding singer from a village in the remote and impoverished northeastern province of Badakhshan.
He had never even heard of his more famous doppelgänger until a judge on the popular television music contest Afghan Star pointed out the uncanny likeness.
Slightly built with a long face and dark brown hair and eyes, the 29-year-old singer hopes the flattering comparison to the politician will bring him more votes on Afghanistan's version of American Idol.
"People have forgotten my name and now they just call me 'Justin Trudeau'," Mr Maftoon told AFP.
"I didn't know anything about Justin Trudeau until I saw the photos on social media.
"The resemblance has boosted my chances of winning the competition by 50%."
Composite photos of the pair - Mr Maftoon wearing a hat favoured by men in northern Afghanistan and Mr Trudeau in Western-style clothing - have drawn scores of comments on Facebook.
And a video of an Afghan Star panel discussion about their physical similarities has been viewed tens of thousands of times.
"Trudeau's lost twin," wrote Neila Abdulzadah on Facebook.
Fowzia Zereh posted: "I think their story is like a Bollywood movie - they were separated at birth and he found his lost twin brother."
The performer is among eight contestants to make it through to the next elimination round on Thursday.
The final will be held on 21 March, the Persian new year's eve.
So far Mr Maftoon's repertoire of romantic folk songs, which he sings in both of Afghanistan's official languages Dari and Pashto, and his looks have impressed viewers, whose votes decide which performer is kicked off the show each week.
Until now Mr Maftoon has relied on singing and playing instruments at wedding and birthday parties to support his wife and four children.
But he is confident that his new-found fame will boost demand for his entertainment services.
