'Would you ask this to a man?' Preity Zinta calls out gender bias, hits back at trolls

Bollywood actress didn't take the insult lying down and responded with a feisty response

Last updated:
Manjusha Radhakrishnan (Entertainment Editor)
2 MIN READ
Preity Zinta (Image source: Instagram)
Preity Zinta (Image source: Instagram)

Dubai: Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta took to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday to call out a troll who insinuated that Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell underperforms for the IPL franchise because she didn’t marry him.

Let's go back a few steps. It all began when a social media user named Notorious took a cheap shot at Zinta’s role as a team owner in the Indian Premier League. Referring to Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell, the user asked:
“Ma’am, Maxwell didn’t marry you, that’s why he didn’t play well for your team?”

The comment, laced with casual misogyny, attempted to trivialise Zinta’s role in the cricketing world by linking a player's performance to her personal life.

Zinta, however, didn’t let it slide.

Her response was sharp, dignified, and layered with insight:
“Would you ask this question to male team owners as well, or is this kind of discrimination reserved only for women?” she wrote.

That one rhetorical question captured the frustrating double standards women face across industries—especially in male-dominated spaces like professional sports.

Zinta went on to reflect candidly on her journey in the IPL:
“I never realised how tough it is for women to survive in corporate environments until I entered the world of cricket.”

While she acknowledged the comment may have been made in jest, she didn’t shy away from highlighting its damaging implications.
“I’m sure you meant this as a joke, but I hope you take a moment to really reflect on what you’re saying—because if you do, you’ll see it’s not funny, it’s offensive.”

The actress, who has been a co-owner of the Punjab Kings franchise for nearly two decades, underlined the hard work she’s put in to build her credibility in the field:
“I’ve worked extremely hard over the past 18 years and earned my place, so please show me the respect I deserve and stop perpetuating gender bias.”

She signed off with a polite yet firm: “Thank you.”

Manjusha Radhakrishnan
Manjusha Radhakrishnan Entertainment Editor
Manjusha Radhakrishnan has been slaying entertainment news and celebrity interviews in Dubai for 18 years—and she’s just getting started. As Entertainment Editor, she covers Bollywood movie reviews, Hollywood scoops, Pakistani dramas, and world cinema. Red carpets? She’s walked them all—Europe, North America, Macau—covering IIFA (Bollywood Oscars) and Zee Cine Awards like a pro. She’s been on CNN with Becky Anderson dropping Bollywood truth bombs like Salman Khan Black Buck hunting conviction and hosted panels with directors like Bollywood’s Kabir Khan and Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. She has also covered film festivals around the globe. Oh, and did we mention she landed the cover of Xpedition Magazine as one of the UAE’s 50 most influential icons? She was also the resident Bollywood guru on Dubai TV’s Insider Arabia and Saudi TV, where she dishes out the latest scoop and celebrity news. Her interview roster reads like a dream guest list—Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, Robbie Williams, Sean Penn, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Morgan Freeman. From breaking celeb news to making stars spill secrets, Manjusha doesn’t just cover entertainment—she owns it while looking like a star herself.
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