Actor and Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta has expressed her anger and disappointment after a morphed photo of her allegedly hugging 14-year-old Rajasthan Royals player Vaibhav Suryavanshi went viral on social media. The fake image, which falsely portrayed a moment between the actor and the young cricketer, triggered a wave of online commentary, forcing Preity to respond.
The controversy erupted after a video shared by Rajasthan Royals on X (formerly Twitter) showed Preity Zinta interacting warmly with the young player during a recent IPL match in Jaipur. In the original video, Zinta is seen speaking to Yashasvi Jaiswal, after which she turns to Shashank Singh and says, “Come, let’s go say hi to him,” referring to Vaibhav Suryavanshi. She then approaches Vaibhav, greets him politely, and shakes his hand. The video, edited with the background song “Koi Mil Gaya,” was meant to highlight the young player’s fan moment.
However, a fake photo began circulating shortly after, showing Preity hugging the teenager—an image that was not part of the original footage. This manipulated photo quickly gained traction online, with even some regional news channels reporting on it as if it were real.
Reacting to the situation, Preity Zinta took to Instagram and reposted a screenshot of one such misleading news report. “This picture is edited and the news is fake. I can’t believe even news channels are showing such things as real,” she wrote. She also shared a clip from a regional broadcast that covered the false narrative, adding, “Fake news with morphed image.”
Clearly upset, Preity continued, “I am so shocked that people can stoop so low to spread lies. It’s disgusting how a simple gesture is being misrepresented. I expect better from media outlets.”
Meanwhile, Preity is gearing up for her return to the big screen after a seven-year hiatus. She will next be seen in Lahore 1947, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Aamir Khan. The film stars Sunny Deol in the lead, with Shabana Azmi and Ali Fazal also part of the cast. Her last appearance was in the 2018 film Bhaiaji Superhit.
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