Imtiaz Ali opens up about almost going to jail for Shahid Kapoor-Kareena Kapoor starrer Jab We Met; here's what he said
Director Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met (2007) is one of those timeless films, the epitome of Bollywood rom-coms that really set the bar for train station experiences. The film propelled Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan to the fan favourite couple of that era, but behind the light-hearted screenplay and beloved characters, the film also sparked a surprising legal storm that could have landed Imtiaz behind bars.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter and film critic Anupama Chopra, Ali opened up about the lesser-known controversy surrounding the 2007 hit. At the heart of the legal drama? A scene set in the town of Ratlam. Anyone who's seen Jab We Met will recall the comical detour where Shahid and Kareena's characters land in Ratlam, ending up in a dubious-looking hotel. While the scene was meant to be humorous, it ruffled some serious feathers among locals, and even resulted in a non-bailable arrest warrant against Imtiaz.
'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 said. '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 had damaged the reputation of the city, which was known for its local delicacies like chivda and fafda. The complaint claimed Ali had misrepresented Ratlam as a red-light district, offending the community. What made the situation even trickier was that Ali was neck-deep in shooting his next project, Love Aaj Kal, when the legal notice began making the rounds. '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).''
Even amid the anxiety, there were moments of levity. Imtiaz fondly remembered a heartwarming gesture by actor and costume designer Dolly Ahluwalia on set. '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).'
Reflecting on the ordeal years later, Ali mused, 'If you make Jab We Met and still get summons, then how careful can you ever be?'
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