Preity Zinta - The woman who stood up to the underworld

Reel life heroes, as portrayed in movies and TV shows, often present a fantasy version of bravery and selflessness. These larger-than-life characters are scripted to inspire and captivate audiences. But it’s important to remember that they are not always representative of real-life heroes.

In reality, heroism is often a nuanced and multifaceted concept. True heroes may not exhibit the traits or qualities commonly associated with reel life heroes. Moreover, individuals who are celebrated as heroes in the media or society may not always display ethical behavior in their personal lives.

Events during and after the production of the 2001 film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke is one of the prominent cases to understand the stark difference between the true and PR-generated heroes.

Preity Zinta’s Brave Stand Against the Underworld

Through allurement and coercion, the underworld gangsters maintained an unholy grip over the Hindi film industry for several decades. Consequently, they peddled their perverted agenda in the name of cinematic liberty. Humanising stories of dreaded criminals and giving clean chit to Indian enemies through cliches like ‘few bad apples in both nations’ – are some of the pathetic outcomes of illicit clutches of the underworld.

But in the early 2000s, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta made a moral resolve to end this grave menace for once and for all.

In 2001, the starcast of the film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke were ‘paranoid’ because either they had received extortion calls or anticipated the same. Describing her ordeal, she explained the developments almost two decades later. At that time none of her co-star stood with her in a pretty evident case of gross illegality and grave threat on industry, human life and national security.

Back then, Preity Zinda testified before a Mumbai court that she received extortion calls which were demanding ₹50 lakh. Other Bollywood celebrities like Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Rakesh Roshan, and Mahesh Manjrekar, were reportedly threatened by extortionists. However, they retracted their statements before appearing in court. Only Preity Zinta held firm in her accusations.

Chori Chori Chupke Chupke producer Nazim Rizvi and financier Bharat Shah were accused of backing the film with funding from underworld gangster Chhota Shakeel.

In the interview, Preity Zinta highlighted that she didn’t know that her industry colleagues would fail to put up a fight otherwise she would have done the same. She described those days as one of the scariest phases in her life.

She said, “For the record, if I knew that everyone was going to back out, I also would have. It was a scary time in my life. I should have been protected. Whatever I said in court was on TV ten minutes later.”

However, when her lily-levered colleagues succumbed to underworld masters, she decided not to budge in front of the criminal element. She revealed that she did it because she could not bear the abuses that these gangsters were hurling at her.

She said, “I was fine till they were scaring me, but once they started abusing me, I lost it. I can take stress, but not people abusing me. I learnt that if you get a call from +92, don’t pick up! Luckily I was famous. Had I not been, it would’ve been tough.” Preity Zinta added that she testified before the court as she didn’t have a family or children.

Pertinent to note that on account of the CBI investigation in the case, Abbas–Mustan directed ‘Chori Chori Chupke Chupke’ was delayed by several months. The producer of “Chori Chori Chupke Chupke,” Nazim Rizvi, and financier Bharat Shah, were alleged to have received funding from underworld figure Chhota Shakeel.

Bollywood often discards the claims of having links with the underworld but this was a classic case of the whole industry either playing along with them or succumbing to their allurement and coercive tactics. But as a society we too have to ponder on the fact that Priety Zinda and heroes like her who stand against the great evils of the society have to pay a heavy cost for displaying real life heroic acts.

In the first decade of the 21st century, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta was having a great run in the industry. But post her testimonial against the underworld, who still pulled strings in the industry, Preity Zinta was slowly side-lined from the industry.

She only made her comeback through her IPL franchise Kings Eleven Punjab. Had she too given up like other paper ‘TIGER’ and ‘Pathaan’ of Bollywood, the industry would have still seen a larger imprint of the underworld, which may have some minor command over the industry.

It is essential to be critical and avoid blindly idealising the heroes portrayed in popular culture. We as a vibrant society should stand behind real life heroes like Preity Zinta who show spine against illegal activities. Furthermore, it is high time that a clear distinction between the two – reel and real-life heroes, is drawn. The populace should shun over-romanticisation of these ‘underworld-sponsored’ heroes who gloat about heroic acts on the big screen but can’t grow spine to back those individuals who stand against adversities, like the underworld in this case.