Preity Zinta recently took to social media to share about two incidents that left her "a bit shaken". One is about a woman who planted "a big wet kiss next to" her daughter Gia's mouth and the second was a disabled man harassing her for money. She explained what had actually happened in both cases too. This is not the first time a celebrity has complained of harassment.
Somy Ali, who now runs her NGO, No More Tears, reacts to the same. She also opines on whether it’s tough for celebrities to control fans at times and if the paparazzi make it tough for them to manage things.
“This is literally a double-edged sword. Typically, my responses to celebrities being chased by the paparazzi have been that it comes with the territory of stardom. But in this specific case with Preity, I find it beyond obtrusive to what she encountered. Everything in life must consist of boundaries and above all, we must respect one another’s privacy and personal space whether you are a celebrity or not. What Preity experienced was nothing short of a criminal act as no one has a right to touch someone’s children unless the parents allow them to do so. It is also highly offensive not to mention dangerous to chase her car where people could literally get hurt and end up in the hospital. Hence, I am completely with Preity pertaining to these incidents and hold those responsible for committing such nonsensical acts,” says Somy Ali.
Talking more on the issue, she explains that everyone is aware that the paparazzi are here to stay the same way stars will continue to come and go.
“Thus this tug of war between the media and celebrities will go on for eternity, yet it is the paparazzi and the fans who are at fault and they should know their limits with the inclusion of respect for their idols. No celebrity is oblivious to the fact that if and when in public they will be photographed and chased around. However, I have seen an umpteen number of celebrities show their fans and the paparazzi immense amounts of time and respect posing for pictures and things have typically gone smoothly on both ends. It is when the behaviour is unwarranted things get volatile and uncalled for which I do not think any celebrity needs to encounter or tolerate. Thus conclusively, Preity is absolutely right to be angry and upset to have to endure this predicament and fans along with the paparazzi need to check their boundaries when interacting with celebrities,” she concludes.
