MUMBAI : Bollywood actor Preity Zinta who graduated with degrees in English Honours and criminal psychology once took a stand for herself and testified in court against the underworld.

During the filming of the ‘Chori Chori Chupke Chupke’ (2001), Preity said in Mumbai court that she had been getting extortion calls from these gangsters asking for ₹50 lakh. Read on to know why she decided to go to court against them and what motivated her not to back down.

Also Read: Must read! Here is the list of Bollywood celebrities who became parents through surrogacy

During an interaction with India Today at the India Today Conclave East 2018, Preity Zinta opened up about testifying against the underworld in court.

The Koi… Mil Gaya actress said, “For the record, if I knew that everyone was going to back out, I also would have. It was a scary time in my life. I should have been protected. Whatever I said in court was on TV ten minutes later.”

Reportedly, ‘Chori Chori Chupke Chupke’ producer Nazim Rizvi and financier Bharat Shah were backing the film with funding from underworld gangster Chhota Shakeel.

Also Read: Must read! Here is the list of Bollywood celebrities who became parents through surrogacy

The ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ actress said she decided to stand up against the gangsters the moment they became abusive. She said, “I was fine till they were scaring me, but once they started abusing me, I lost it. I can take stress, but not people abusing me. I learned that if you get a call from +92, don’t pick up! Luckily, I was famous. Had I not been, it would’ve been tough.”

Credit: koimoi/India Today