June 09, 2025: Even the most beloved Bollywood films sometimes have unexpected backstories—and Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met is no exception. The 2007 romantic comedy, widely hailed as a genre-defining classic, almost landed its director in jail over a scene set in the small town of Ratlam.
In a candid new interview with The Hollywood Reporter and film critic Anupama Chopra, Imtiaz Ali opened up about a surprising legal storm that followed the release of the film. At the heart of the controversy? The iconic Ratlam sequence, where Kareena Kapoor’s spirited Geet and Shahid Kapoor’s brooding Aditya make an unscheduled stop in the town and end up in a sketchy hotel. While the scene was played for laughs, not everyone found it funny.
A Scene, A Town, A Legal Storm
Ali revealed that the scene offended residents of Ratlam, who felt the portrayal painted their town as a red-light area. “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,” he said. This resulted in a non-bailable arrest warrant being issued against him.
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The timing couldn’t have been worse—Ali was deep into the shoot of Love Aaj Kal when he was first made aware of the warrant. Recalling the moment, he said,
“I was shooting in Calcutta when Dino [producer 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.’”
Roti Behind Bars: A Touch of Humor
Despite the looming legal trouble, the set wasn’t entirely devoid of laughter. Ali recounted a light-hearted moment with actor and costume designer Dolly Ahluwalia during the tense shoot.
“She said, ‘Main apne haathon se roti bana kar laungi, salakhon ke beech se aapko niwala khilaungi.’ And everybody broke into laughter.”
Looking Back
Reflecting on the ordeal nearly two decades later, Ali seemed both bemused and philosophical:
“If you make Jab We Met and still get summons, then how careful can you ever be?”
The story serves as a reminder that even feel-good cinema can face unexpected backlash—and sometimes, laughter is the only way to cope with legal absurdity.