Post by James on Feb 17, 2014 21:40:55 GMT
It's interesting to me that Preity Zinta seems to not be fazed by the court system in India. She was willing to testify way back when against the mafia, and now she's suing people she believes owe her money (all allegations are yet to be proven in court). She's no shrinking violet, that's for sure, and I've always liked that about her. Much preferable to the 'happy film fraternity' image some like to propagate. I hope she gets some good work and her films take off!
'Preity caused the rift in the family'
The Shandar Amrohi-Preity Zinta saga has taken a new turn with the former's sister in a sworn affidavit accusing Preity of misleading him and striking deals for redevelopment of family-owned Filmistan Studio behind his back.
In the affidavit filed at the Bombay High Court in response to Preity's claim that Shandar, who passed away in 2011, owed her Rs 2.8 crore, Rukhsar Amrohi has said that this money was, in fact, an investment made by Preity in what her own account books refer to as the 'Kamal Amrohi Project'. Nowhere in the books, however, it was elaborated what this 'project' was.
Rukhsar, who had a long-standing dispute with Shandar over the substantial properties their father filmmaker Kamal Amrohi left in the family, now shares their sole ownership with her brother Tajdar. Describing Preity's motivation for growing close to her brother as malafide, Rukhsar has alleged that she was responsible for the rift in the family.
"Preity not only influenced Shandar, but she also instigated him to go against siblings," she has said. The affidavit adds that as per her father's will, Shandar, she, and Tajdar were bestowed only 'life interest' in the family's properties, which meant that they could only transfer the shares within the family during their lifetime. Thus, Rukhsar has argued, all her brothers' deals with various developers are illegal.
Rukhsar has also charged Preity with dealing independently with at least two developers in Shandar's absence in matters concerning his shareholding in the family assets.
While Preity has claimed that she paid lawyers involved in Shandar's various court cases, Rukhsar believes that the actress spent the money because of her interest in the 'Kamal Amrohi Project' and not as help to her brother.
"From the documents produced before this court, it can be derived that the plaintiff (Preity) was not helping Shandar Amrohi to fight any litigation but she herself was interested in the Kamal Amrohi Project," says the affidavit.
The affidavit adds that while Preity has attached bills raised by law firms representing Shandar, but these payments made by Preity are only with regards to those proceedings initiated by Shandar against Rukhsar and her son, whereas, he was fighting other cases too at the Company Law Board level for the sale of same shares.
Demanding a probe by Enforcement Directorate into the Rs 40-crore Shandar received from DB Realty, Rukhsar has said that it needs to be looked into why her brother received such a paltry amount a property whose market value is manifold more.
"The Enforcement Directorate should find out whether any further amounts were received by the parties." The affidavit claims that a large chunk of Rs 2 crore (Rs 1,54,15,000) that Preity claims she loaned to Shandar was paid through a certain Inder Mallick, who is a close associate of Preity and has nothing to do with Shandar or any other member of the family. "If this money was paid to Shandar, why did Preity not raise the issue for two years after his death," Rukhsar has asked.
When contacted, Rukhsar refused to comment. Preity's lawyer Hitesh Jain of ALMT Legal denied all allegations made in Rukhsar's affivadit."We don't want to make any comment as of now as the matter is subjudice. But we will appropriately respond to this in the court."
Preity Zinta plays spoilsport
Ranbir Kapoor was supposed to fly out to South Africa in March to shoot his cameo for Roy, along with Arjun Rampal.
The film's director was to leave for a recce with his Director of Photography (DOP) S Nataraja on February 8. But the plans have gone awry after Preity Zinta filed an FIR at the Khar police station against Nataraja. Her contention is that Natarajan, who was also the DOP of her home production Ishq in Paris, took an advance of Rs 20 lakh from her and is yet to return the amount despite not dropping out of the film.
Following the complaint, Nataraja, who has worked on films like Love Aaj Kal and Raanjhanaa, has taken off to Chennai and is trying to get anticipatory bail. He has told Vikramjit to wait till the dispute is settled. According to a source close to the development Nataraja was dropped for another DOP because Preity wanted to cut corners. "She had signed Nataraja for Rs 85 lakh and had given him Rs 20 lakh as the signing amount. He had worked on the film for eight months before he was dropped. He thinks he was entitled to the advance," reasons the source. "Preity's sudden move took him by surprise." Nataraja has now approached Anil Mehta, the industry's senior cinematographer, to play the mediator and last weekend he met the actress.
Vikramajit confirmed the news saying, "Nataraja has my full support. I will wait for him, I hope the crisis will be over by this month's end." When contacted, Nataraja said, "I will come to Mumbai soon to sort out the matter. I had done a lot of work on Preity's film. I don't know what has been conveyed to her by her production team. There is definitely some misunderstanding but we should be able to sort things out."
'Preity caused the rift in the family'
The Shandar Amrohi-Preity Zinta saga has taken a new turn with the former's sister in a sworn affidavit accusing Preity of misleading him and striking deals for redevelopment of family-owned Filmistan Studio behind his back.
In the affidavit filed at the Bombay High Court in response to Preity's claim that Shandar, who passed away in 2011, owed her Rs 2.8 crore, Rukhsar Amrohi has said that this money was, in fact, an investment made by Preity in what her own account books refer to as the 'Kamal Amrohi Project'. Nowhere in the books, however, it was elaborated what this 'project' was.
Rukhsar, who had a long-standing dispute with Shandar over the substantial properties their father filmmaker Kamal Amrohi left in the family, now shares their sole ownership with her brother Tajdar. Describing Preity's motivation for growing close to her brother as malafide, Rukhsar has alleged that she was responsible for the rift in the family.
"Preity not only influenced Shandar, but she also instigated him to go against siblings," she has said. The affidavit adds that as per her father's will, Shandar, she, and Tajdar were bestowed only 'life interest' in the family's properties, which meant that they could only transfer the shares within the family during their lifetime. Thus, Rukhsar has argued, all her brothers' deals with various developers are illegal.
Rukhsar has also charged Preity with dealing independently with at least two developers in Shandar's absence in matters concerning his shareholding in the family assets.
While Preity has claimed that she paid lawyers involved in Shandar's various court cases, Rukhsar believes that the actress spent the money because of her interest in the 'Kamal Amrohi Project' and not as help to her brother.
"From the documents produced before this court, it can be derived that the plaintiff (Preity) was not helping Shandar Amrohi to fight any litigation but she herself was interested in the Kamal Amrohi Project," says the affidavit.
The affidavit adds that while Preity has attached bills raised by law firms representing Shandar, but these payments made by Preity are only with regards to those proceedings initiated by Shandar against Rukhsar and her son, whereas, he was fighting other cases too at the Company Law Board level for the sale of same shares.
Demanding a probe by Enforcement Directorate into the Rs 40-crore Shandar received from DB Realty, Rukhsar has said that it needs to be looked into why her brother received such a paltry amount a property whose market value is manifold more.
"The Enforcement Directorate should find out whether any further amounts were received by the parties." The affidavit claims that a large chunk of Rs 2 crore (Rs 1,54,15,000) that Preity claims she loaned to Shandar was paid through a certain Inder Mallick, who is a close associate of Preity and has nothing to do with Shandar or any other member of the family. "If this money was paid to Shandar, why did Preity not raise the issue for two years after his death," Rukhsar has asked.
When contacted, Rukhsar refused to comment. Preity's lawyer Hitesh Jain of ALMT Legal denied all allegations made in Rukhsar's affivadit."We don't want to make any comment as of now as the matter is subjudice. But we will appropriately respond to this in the court."
Preity Zinta plays spoilsport
Ranbir Kapoor was supposed to fly out to South Africa in March to shoot his cameo for Roy, along with Arjun Rampal.
The film's director was to leave for a recce with his Director of Photography (DOP) S Nataraja on February 8. But the plans have gone awry after Preity Zinta filed an FIR at the Khar police station against Nataraja. Her contention is that Natarajan, who was also the DOP of her home production Ishq in Paris, took an advance of Rs 20 lakh from her and is yet to return the amount despite not dropping out of the film.
Following the complaint, Nataraja, who has worked on films like Love Aaj Kal and Raanjhanaa, has taken off to Chennai and is trying to get anticipatory bail. He has told Vikramjit to wait till the dispute is settled. According to a source close to the development Nataraja was dropped for another DOP because Preity wanted to cut corners. "She had signed Nataraja for Rs 85 lakh and had given him Rs 20 lakh as the signing amount. He had worked on the film for eight months before he was dropped. He thinks he was entitled to the advance," reasons the source. "Preity's sudden move took him by surprise." Nataraja has now approached Anil Mehta, the industry's senior cinematographer, to play the mediator and last weekend he met the actress.
Vikramajit confirmed the news saying, "Nataraja has my full support. I will wait for him, I hope the crisis will be over by this month's end." When contacted, Nataraja said, "I will come to Mumbai soon to sort out the matter. I had done a lot of work on Preity's film. I don't know what has been conveyed to her by her production team. There is definitely some misunderstanding but we should be able to sort things out."