Preity Zinta hits out at Farhan Akhtar production Inside Edge

Inside Edge, the web series produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment, has proved to be quite the topic of conversation. The series, available on Amazon Prime, focuses on the politics, intrigue, and power play behind one of the largest sporting franchises in the country, IPL, Naturally, the conversation about Richa Chadha's character, Zarina, in the series has been compared to the first actress to take to the business of IPL, Preity Zinta. However, Zinta is not at all pleased with the comparison.

Speaking to an online website, Zinta said, "A woman in power in India is a bitch or a whore or a…There is no other thing on a TV or celluloid."

The actress seemed displeased at the portrayal of the character as a manipulative woman, using her sexuality as a tool to capture power. She said, "I am very clean and clear about how I am and what I am and that I can stand between one thousand men or one hundred men with my head held high. I don’t need that stamp and justification. But I do feel bad, it’s very unfair and to be honest IPL is one of the greatest inspirational stories of hard work, grit, of talent coming from nowhere, you don’t show all that and you go into the muck and the gore and you make it look…so what you want me to say? Really what you want me to say? (sic)"

The actress also hit out against the gender bias persistent in films and digital content and television. Zinta said, "Yeah, but do you think anyone has the real BALLS to show a ‘business’ woman do it? Or show a male actor in it? That’s being a man, no?" The actress went on to add, "I mean, I am grateful that today Farhan made a statement and said, ‘Oh, it’s fiction,’ but then, why is fiction so one dimensional?"

The actress even hit out at the makers of the series asking how they came across these plot points. In the interview, the actress said, "Just ask them the question, like what is your inspiration for all this?"

However, Chadha has previously denied any links to Zinta and her character through her interviews. At the trailer launch of Inside Edge, the actress said, "So, there’s nothing like that (based on real life personality). I am playing an actress who owns a team so, comparisons are natural. Guess work happens but there’s nothing of that sort."

Incidentally, Zinta was speaking at the launch of a new women's initiative app, Kavach. The app, set to launch by the end of August, offers women access to an emergency service in times of danger.

Inside Edge is India's first Amazon Original video series, and is directed by Karan Anshuman. The series stars Chadha, Vivek Oberoi and Angad Bedi.