Celina abused by Pakistani Cricketers

This certainly isn't cricket. On Sunday, when Celina Jaitley was invited to perform at the Indian Cricket League's match between Pakistan and India, she had what could be termed an encounter with abusive guests from across the border.

Celina had finished her performance and was taking what she calls a "glory round" with her security personnel around the stadium, when she heard loud abuses in Hindi coming out of the players' enclosure.

"At first I couldn't believe where it was coming from. I still want to give them the benefit of the doubt because it's so hard to believe they could behave this way," she says with a shudder, recalling how she wanted to rush back to her car and drive away from the nightmare. "But I couldn't because the security guys wouldn't let me pass. So I was stuck listening to myself being described in the most colourful language."

Celina refuses to lay the blame on anyone for the abusive incident. But she does admit that she recognizes the Pakistani players because she had participated in a TV interview with them for a sports channel.

"But what hurts and offends me more is the fact that people from our own country have chosen to speak on behalf of those who abused me. As they say, I am 'just another Bollywood actress'. Fine. Does that mean I don't command even the respect that other woman get?"

All in all it hasn't been a very pleasant Easter and Holi weekend for Celina. "I attended my producer Kumar Mangatji's Holi bash on Saturday and then having ensured that I wasn't required for shooting on Sunday, I left for Delhi for the ICL, tired and irritable. I had no clue what was waiting for me. And to top it all, I had observed Lent this Easter and was very weak and depleted. This wasn't what I expected."

Subash K. Jha