10th April 2023, Mumbai: Preity Zinta, the Bollywood actress, recently took to social media to speak out against an incident where her daughter was forcibly kissed and a wheelchair-bound man harassed her. Zinta, who is known for her outspoken personality and advocacy for women’s rights, did not hold back in expressing her frustration and anger at these incidents.
In a recent Instagram post Zinta revealed that her daughter had been forcibly kissed by a woman who claimed to be a fan. She described the incident as “shocking, scary and unhappy.” This is what she wrote on her post “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.”
Zinta also recounted another incident where a wheelchair-bound man had harassed her. She said “U can see the 2nd incident here. I had a plane to catch and this handicapped man kept trying to stop me. Over the years he has harassed me for money and 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.”
The actress also added ” I think it*s high time people realize that i am a human being first, then a mom & then a celebrity. I also don’t*i need to apologize 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”.
Zinta’s decision to speak out against these incidents is commendable. She has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights and has used her platform to raise awareness about issues such as sexual harassment and domestic violence. Her willingness to speak out against such incidents sends a strong message to others that such behavior will not be tolerated.
It is disheartening to see that such incidents continue to occur, even in today’s society. Women should feel safe and secure in public spaces, and incidents like these only serve to reinforce the need for greater awareness and education about issues related to gender-based violence.
Zinta’s posts have sparked a conversation about the need for greater action to be taken to address such incidents. Many people have expressed their support for the actress and have praised her for speaking out. Some have also shared their own experiences of harassment and violence, highlighting the urgent need for change.
In conclusion, Preity Zinta’s decision to speak out against the incidents where her daughter was forcibly kissed and she was harassed by a wheelchair-bound man is an important reminder of the need to address gender-based violence. Her willingness to use her platform to raise awareness about these issues is commendable, and we need more voices like hers to create a society where women can feel safe and secure. We hope that her bravery in sharing her experiences will inspire others to speak out against harassment and violence.