Preity Zinta is in some pretty hot water right now. The actress will be seen next in the much-delayed Bhaiaji Superhit (also starring Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, Arshad Warsi and Shreyas Talpade), after a long sabbatical. The promote this movie, the former Lyril girl has been giving out many interviews, one of which has landed her in big trouble. A video clip of an interview Preity Zinta gave to Bollywood Hungama, is going viral which the actress is talking about the ongoing #MeToo movement in India. Well, some of her statements didn't go well with Twitterati. Chetan Bhagat Asked His Wife To Leave Him Amid The #MeToo Allegations Against Him - View Full Quote
In the video, we can see that while Preity Zinta is heard saying that a #MeToo movement is needed, she is also of the opinion that people are misusing it for their own selfish cause. She is also heard giving vague statements like 'Aaj ki Sweetu (referring to Delnaz Irani's character in Kal Ho Naa Ho), Kal Ki #MeToo Ho Sakti Hai.' This implies that girls like Sweetu, who in that film was seen desperate enough for a boyfriend, will go hoarse crying #MeToo happened to her. When the interviewer asked if something like this happened to her, her answer, 'I wish I had!' Singer Chinmayi Sripada’s Termination From Tamil Dubbing Union Proves Why #MeToo Movement Will Never Succeed in India.
Q. Did you ever have a #MeToo experience?
A. Giggle. Giggle. Ha ha. I wish I had!!!
"Aaj ki sweetu, kal ki metoo ho sakti hai, ha ha": The lovely @realpreityzinta does some unexpected victim shaming pic.twitter.com/F0Rc05Cbws
— Prasanto K Roy (@prasanto) November 18, 2018
She even says that compared to other industries, Bollywood's #MeToo menace was just this much...
The actress later clarified on Twitter that the interview was edited to make her statements sound out of context. She even lashed out against the journo interviewing her for allowing this to happen.
Really sad 2see how the interview Is edited to trivialis& be insensitive. Not everything is traction & as someone being interviewed I expected decency & maturity froma journalist @iFaridoon. I did 25 interviews that day & only yours turned out edited like this #dissappointed
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) November 19, 2018
There is also an unedited version of the interview, which show a bit more clarity in her statements, but still doesn't exactly show her in a good light. Please check it out here - Preity Zinta Gives Clarification On Her Controversial #MeToo Statements (Watch Unedited Video).
Needless to say, Preity Zinta's statements, edited or not, gave her a lot of backlash on social media. Some of them reminded her that she herself had filed a molestation case against her former beau Ness Wadia once. Check out Twitterati, some of them eminent journalists themselves, have to say on this -
Tweet #1
Dumb and Dumber? https://t.co/ixITj1Ymyu
— Rajeev Masand (@RajeevMasand) November 19, 2018
Tweet #2
This is deeply disappointing.
Victim shaming in its worst form. And the interviewer who says “giving all the indications and then saying no” @realpreityzinta https://t.co/JBWAjl5I7u
— Faye DSouza (@fayedsouza) November 19, 2018
Tweet #3
Cringing and embarrassed as I watch this Preity Zinta Interview.
1. She filed a case of molestation against Ness Wadia in 2014. Yet, she says she’s never had a #MeToo moment?
2. @iFaridoon stop capitalising on this movement for views! First Rakhi Sawant, now this. STOP! https://t.co/YnHl1UtEib
— Janice Sequeira (@janiceseq85) November 19, 2018
Tweet #4
Okay I definitely am NOT a fan of hers anymore! https://t.co/6mFr1ZLlaH
— Aseem Chhabra (@chhabs) November 18, 2018
Tweet #4
Really did not expect this trivialisation of #metoo from @realpreityzinta https://t.co/qRKh7EikDm
— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) November 19, 2018
This is how people change. The same Preity Zinta would probably be the champion of #Metoo if the movement happened during time when she had a fallout with Ness Wadia https://t.co/Pifl6Int52
— Deepika Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) November 19, 2018
Tweet #5
Preity Zinta went from being the only Bollywood celeb to have the guts to testify in the Bharat Shah Case to someone who trivialises the #MeToo movement and 'wishes' she had one. What a waste of life.
— Sreeparna Mazumder (@Sreeep) November 18, 2018
So what do you have to say about Preity Zinta's statements? Share your thoughts in the comments section below?
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 12:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).