Nearly 19 years after the release of Jawani Diwani: A Youthful Joyride, actor Celina Jaitly has spoken out about the emotional betrayal she faced—not just through her character Roma Fernandez, but as an actor herself. In an emotional Instagram post, Celina reflected on how the film, which was originally pitched to her as a story about a woman’s emotional journey, ultimately sidelined her character in favour of a male-driven narrative.

Sharing a nostalgic montage of her scenes with co-star Emraan Hashmi, Celina wrote, “If I had directed this film, I would have told it from the perspective of the heart—from raw, real emotion. I would have never allowed HER: Roma Fernandez to settle for someone who hurt her, used her, and reduced her worth. I would have honoured her story, just as I was promised during the narration.”

Celina went on to express how deeply she felt betrayed by the final outcome of the film. “Just like Roma was betrayed in the story, I too was betrayed as an actor. What was promised to be her story was reduced to his story—celebrating the serial kisser while the woman who believed in love was brushed aside.”

Clarifying her stance, Celina added that her frustration was not directed towards her co-star Emraan Hashmi but towards the mindset of the filmmakers. “This is not about my fantastic co-star. This is about the mentality of the makers who chose glamour over authenticity, sidelining a woman’s voice for commercial gains,” she wrote.

Jawani Diwani, directed by Manish Sharma, starred Emraan Hashmi, Celina Jaitly, Hrishitaa Bhatt, and Mahesh Manjrekar, and was known for its catchy music but received criticism for its weak portrayal of female characters.

Celina, who has been away from mainstream cinema for years, was last seen in the 2011 Kannada film Shrimathi. Fans applauded her for finally voicing her experience and standing up for stronger female representation in Bollywood.