Are Priyanka, Parineeti avoiding their 'controversial' cousin Meera?

The quintessential big fat Indian family has been the subject of several Hindi films over the decade. But it looks like in real-life Bollywood, even relationships of flesh and blood cannot withstand the pressures posed by circumstances. Insiders say the Chopra sisters of Bollywood (read Priyanka and Parineeti) have remained aloof from their other cousin Meera aka Nila because of her apparently scandalous past.

Currently, Meera has two Bollywood projects in the kitty. The actress, who has starred in several Tamil and Telugu films, was in news last year over a murder case. In 2011, she was said to be apparently wanted by the Delhi police in connection with the death of a 28-year-old married woman, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances. Meera was said to be in an alleged relationship with the deceased's husband. In 2009, her name was apparently also implicated in an MMS scandal.

A source says, "The controversies resulted in Meera losing out on plum film offers and even had to change her name from Nila to Meera. Ultimately, she had to leave the South industry to look for work elsewhere. For this reason, her other cousins in Bollywood want to steer clear of her." Meera however says Priyanka and Parineeti have never really been close to her as she is not their first cousin. "We are not really closely related and that is the reason why we are not in touch with each other."