Harassment of actors and invasion of their privacy is unfortunately a common occurrence in the entertainment industry. Paparazzi and fans often cross boundaries and invade the personal space of celebrities, causing distress and harm to their mental health.
Bollywood’s sweetheart Preity Zinta was recently caught on camera while getting into her car. A man in a wheelchair followed her even as her car started moving. However, instead of helping, the photographers present at the scene laughed at the incident.
Preity lashed out at them, stating that if there had been an accident, she would have been blamed. She also clarified that she had a plane to catch and did not have any cash with her. The man had harassed her for money in the past, and she had given him some when she could. However, this time, when he asked for money, she had no cash, and her friend gave him some from her purse, which he threw back at her and became more aggressive.
On Saturday, Preity shared a disturbing incident on her Instagram where she revealed that an unknown woman had planted a big wet kiss next to her daughter Gia’s mouth. In addition to that, a handicapped man kept trying to stop her for money in Mumbai, while the paparazzi present at the scene found it amusing and did not lend any help.
She wrote, “2 events this week have left me a bit shaken.1 regarding my daughter Gia-where a woman tried to take her photo. When we politely asked her not to she walked away, then suddenly scooped my daughter in her arms & planted a big wet kiss next to her mouth & ran off saying what a cute baby. This woman lives in an elite building & happened to be in the garden where my kids were playing. If I wasn’t a celebrity I probably would have reacted badly but kept my cool as I didn’t want to make a scene.
“U can see the 2nd incident here. I had a plane to catch & this disabled man kept trying to stop me. Over the years he has harassed me for money & I have given it to him when I could. This time when he asked for money I said sorry today I have no cash, just a credit card. The lady with me gave him some money from her purse. He threw it back at her cuz it wasn’t enough & started getting aggressive. As u can see he followed us for some time & got more aggressive.
“The photographers found this incident funny. Instead of helping us they filmed & laughed. NO ONE told him not to follow the car or harass us as anyone could have gotten hurt. Had there been an accident, I would have been blamed. My being a celebrity would have been questioned. Bollywood would have been blamed & a lot of negativity would have spread.
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“I think it’s high time people realise that I’m a human being first, then a mom & then a celebrity. I also don’t need to apologise for my success constantly & be bullied for it cuz I’ve worked very hard to get where I am. I have an equal right like anyone else in this country to live the way I want so please think before you judge & please stop blaming celebrities for everything. There are always 2 sides to a story.
“Most importantly my children are NOT part of a package deal & are not meant to be preyed on so please Leave my kids alone & don’t come to them for photos or touch/grab them. They are infants & need to be treated like infants, not celebrities.
“I sincerely hope that the photographers that ask us for photos, videos & sound bytes also have the grace, humanity & maturity to act & help in the future instead of filming & laughing cuz most of the time it’s not funny,” she concluded.
Several well-known personalities such as Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Lilly Singh, Hrithik Roshan, Malaika Arora have expressed their support for the actress.
Rampal said: “Next time give me a call will sort them out.”
Hrithik Roshan said: “Well done Pree.”
Malaika Arora wrote: “You said it out loud and clear.”
“Good on you for standing up for yourself. I know that can be hard. But it’s important and true,” wrote Lilly Singh.
On the work front, Zinta has won several awards for her acting skills, including a Filmfare Award. In addition to acting, Zinta is involved in various philanthropic activities and owns a cricket team in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
