Imtiaz Ali Recalls Being Almost Arrested For Depicting Ratlam As Red Light Area In Jab We Met
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Imtiaz Ali faced a non-bailable arrest warrant over Jab We Met's Ratlam scene, accused of defaming the town as a red-light area.
Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met (2007) remains a beloved Bollywood rom-com, celebrated for its charming leads, Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan, and its iconic train station moments. Yet, beneath the film's lighthearted vibe lies a surprising legal controversy that nearly put the director behind bars. In a recent chat with The Hollywood Reporter and film critic Anupama Chopra, Ali revealed a lesser-known drama tied to a scene set in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, which triggered a defamation row.
The controversy stemmed from a funny sequence where the lead characters end up in a seedy Ratlam hotel. While the scene amused audiences, it angered Ratlam locals, who felt it tarnished their town's reputation. Ali recounted the legal fallout, saying, 'The first time there was a court summons for me and then I had a non-bailable arrest warrant because of Ratlam ki Galiyan." He added, 'The chargesheet said that the town, erstwhile known for delicacies like chivda, fafda, and mixture, has been defamed by Imtiaz Ali being the place of red light."
The accusation was that Jab We Met portrayed Ratlam, a town famous for its snacks like chivda and fafda, as a red-light district, offending the local community. The situation escalated while Ali was busy filming his next movie, Love Aaj Kal, in Kolkata. He recalled the panic when his producer, Dinesh Vijan, warned him about the arrest warrant.
'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).'"
Despite the controversy, Jab We Met continues to win hearts, proving its timeless appeal.
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