Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali recently opened up about being faced with a non-bailable arrest warrant for his film Jab We Met for a particular scene in the film. He recalls Dinesh Vijan breaking the news to him.
Imtiaz Ali faced arrest warrant for Jab We Met
Imtiaz Ali’s 2007 directorial Jab We Met is simply iconic. It is one of those timeless films, an endearing Bollywood rom-com that feels like a warm hug. Featuring the signature Imtiaz Ali touch, the film became a cult classic, setting the bar high for rom-coms. The film also made Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan a fan favourite couple of that era. However, things behind the curtains weren't as light-hearted and all-things-good. The filmmaker recently revealed that the film sparked a surprising legal storm that almost landed Imtiaz behind bars.
Arrest warrant against Imtiaz Ali for Jab We Met
During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ali spilt the beans about the lesser-known controversy surrounding Jab We Met. He revealed he had a legal case filed against him and an arrest warrant issued for a scene in the film shot in the town of Ratlam. Those who have watched the film will remember a detour scene where Shahid and Kareena’s characters, bound by circumstances, land in Ratlam and end up in a dubious-looking hotel. Although the scene was meant to be humorous, it didn't really sit well with locals and even resulted in a non-bailable arrest warrant against Imtiaz.
Imtiaz revealed, “The first time there was a court summons for me, and then I had a non-bailable arrest warrant because of Ratlam ki Galiyan. The chargesheet said that the town, erstwhile known for places like chivda, fafda, and mixture, has been defamed by Imtiaz Ali being the place of red light.” According to the charges, the film reportedly harmed the reputation of the city, which was known for its local delicacies such as chivda and fafda. The complaint claimed Ali had misrepresented Ratlam as a red-light district, which offended the local community.
Imtiaz reveals Dinesh Vijan broke the news to him
Imtiaz also recalled that he was shooting for his next project, Love Aaj Kal, when he received the news of the legal notice. He shared, “I was shooting in Calcutta when Dino [Dinesh Vijan] came running to me and said, ‘Sir, there’s a non-bailable arrest warrant and if they come to know you are here, they will come and arrest you.’ I said, ‘Yaar, just yesterday it was in the papers that we’re shooting here.’ And Dino said, ‘Mera toh bohot loss ho jayega agar tu arrest ho gaya (I’ll suffer a huge loss if you get arrested).’”
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Despite the anxiety and stress during the moment on set, Imtiaz fondly remembered a heartwarming gesture by actor and costume designer Dolly Ahluwalia on set. He said, “While everybody was very nervous and tense, Dolly Ahluwalia was there, I was shooting with her. She said, ‘Main apne haathon se roti bana kar laungi, salakhon ke beech se aapko niwala khilaungi.’ (I’ll personally make roti and feed it to you through the prison bars). And everybody broke into laughter ”
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