- Imtiaz Ali's film Jab We Met led to a legal case over Ratlam's portrayal.
- Locals sued Ali for defaming Ratlam as a red-light district in the film.
- A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against Imtiaz Ali during filming.
Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met led by Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor was one of 2007's biggest hits. Till today, the lead onscreen couple is fondly remembered for their characters Geet and Aditya.
However, what came as a surprise was when Imtiaz Ali revealed that the film led to a legal drama and almost a non-bailable warrant for him.
What's Happening
- In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Imtiaz Ali spoke about an unexpected legal storm that took place because of Jab We Met, and how it almost led to him ending up behind bars.
- The director explained that it started from a particular scene in the initial part of the film, set in the town of Ratlam. It's when Kareena and Shahid's characters miss their train and get lost, eventually ending up in a shady Ratlam hotel. While for the audience, it was one of the funniest scenes in the film, for the locals there it meant something else and they did not take it kindly.
- Imtiaz Ali said, "The first time there was a court summon 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."
- The locals thought that Ratlam is popular for its famous dishes like chivda and fafda. But the filmmaker had represented the place as a red-light district, thus ruining its reputation.
- Ali further added that he received the legal notice when he was busy shooting for Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan's Love Aaj Kal.
- He said, "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).'"
Why Imtiaz Ali Remembers Dolly Ahluwalia's Heartwarming Gesture Amid The Legal Formalities
Imtiaz Ali then recalled that amid all the anxiety that took over from a misconstrued situation, there were certain light-hearted moments.
He remembered how he was shooting with Dolly Ahluwalia when all the chaos was unraveling, and the costume designer told him, "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.' And everybody broke into laughter (I'll personally make roti and feed it to you through the prison bars)."
Plot
The story of Jab We Met revolves around Aditya (Shahid Kapoor), a heartbroken businessman who meets an outgoing and loud Punjabi girl Geet (Kareena Kapoor Khan). The story then unravels to show how her positive outlook towards life helps Aditya rediscover his journey, and they eventually fall in love with each other.
In A Nutshell
Imtiaz Ali reveals surprising details on how Jab We Met with Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor in the lead was a massive hit, but it led to a legal drama. The locals of Ratlam had sent a notice to the filmmaker for depicting their town as a red-light district in the scene where Geet and Aditya end up in a hotel.
