Preity Zinta

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Preity Zinta (Hindi: प्रीति ज़िंटा. Pronunciation: /priːt̪ɪ zɪɳʈaː/ born January 31, 1975)^[1] is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi cinemas of Bollywood, Telugu and English movies. A criminal psychology graduate, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se in 1998, followed by Soldier in the same year. She won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for both films, and was later recognised for her performance as a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna. Following this, she went on to display her range as an actress by portraying a diversity of characters, subsequently credited with bringing a change in the image of Hindi film heroine.^[2][3]

Zinta received her first Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in Kal Ho Naa Ho in 2003. She played the lead female role in two consecutive annual top-grossing films in India—the science fiction Koi... Mil Gaya, her biggest commercial success to date,^[4] and the cross-border romance Veer-Zaara, which earned her critical acclaim. She was later noted for her portrayal of independent, modern Indian women in Salaam Namaste and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, overseas top grossers.^[5] Zinta thus has established herself as a leading actress of Hindi cinema.^[6][7][8]

In addition to being an actress, Zinta is a columnist, having written columns for BBC News Online South Asia, and a regular stage performer. She is known in the Indian media for publicly speaking her mind and openly expressing her opinions, occasionally surrounding herself with controversy.^[9]

[edit] Early life and background

Born on January 31 1975 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, Zinta hails from a Hindu Rajput family of Rohru in Shimla district.^[10] Her father, Durganand Zinta, was an officer in the Indian Army. Durganand died when Zinta was thirteen in a car accident; the accident also involved her mother, Nilprabha, who was severely injured and remained bedridden for two years.^[11] According to Zinta, her father's early death was one of her most terrible experiences and a turning point in her life, as it forced her to grow up.^[11] Zinta has two brothers, Deepankar and Manish, a year older and a year younger, respectively. Deepankar is a commissioned officer in the Indian Army, while Manish is settled in Los Angeles.^[12]

Zinta, a self-confessed tomboy in the early stages of her life, was influenced primarily by her father.^[10] As a child groomed in an army household, she grew up with values such as discipline and punctuality.^[10] She studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary boarding school in Shimla.^[12] Although she confesses to having been lonely in the boarding school, she would later say that it was compensated by her having "...perfect set of friends" there.^[12][13] As a student, she developed a love for literature, particularly William Shakespeare and poetry, and even tried writing poetry herself.^[12] According to Zinta, whilst she liked studies, she enjoyed spending time outside, and was interested in sports, particularly basketball.^[12]

Upon graduating from the boarding school at age 18, Zinta enrolled at St Bede's College in Shimla.^[14] She initially majored in English honours, but later pursued an advanced programme in psychology.^[14] Although she earned a degree in criminal psychology, Zinta later took up modelling.^[12] Zinta's first commercial for Perk chocolates was a result of a chance meeting with a commercial director at a friend's birthday party in 1996. The director persuaded Zinta to attend the audition for the commercial, and she was selected. Afterwards, she appeared in other catalogs and commercials, such as that of Liril.^[11][14]

[edit] Early career (1998–2000)

In 1997, Zinta met director and producer Shekhar Kapur when she accompanied a friend to an audition and was asked to audition herself. Upon seeing her audition, Kapur insisted that she become an actress. She was originally scheduled to make her screen debut in Kapur's Tara Rum Pum Pum opposite Hrithik Roshan, but the filming was canceled; Kapur later recommended her for director Mani Ratnam's Dil Se.^[14]

Zinta started shooting for Kundan Shah's Kya Kehna, the release of which was delayed until 2000.^[15] The delay of another film, Soldier, meant that her first release was Dil Se (1998) opposite Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala. Introducing Zinta as Preeti Nair, a middle class Delhi girl and Khan's fiancee, the film was considered to be an unusual launch for a newcomer, as her role called for twenty minutes of screen time.^[15] However, she was eventually noticed for her role, particularly for the forthright character she played.^[11] Her scene with Khan, which had her asking him, "Are you a virgin?", became well known and her portrayal earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award nomination.^[15] She next played her first leading role in the action drama Soldier, which was one of the biggest hits of the year.^[16] Zinta won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for her performance in both Dil Se and Soldier.

Following this, Zinta acted in two Telugu films, Premante Idera (1998) opposite Venkatesh, and Raja Kumarudu (1999) opposite Mahesh Babu. In 1999, she played the leading role in the thriller Sangharsh, alongside Akshay Kumar. Based on the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, the movie was directed by Tanuja Chandra and written by Mahesh Bhatt. Zinta portrayed the character of Reet Oberoi, a CBI officer who falls in love with a captured killer, played by Kumar. The film was not a box office success, although Zinta's performance was appreciated by critics.^[11]

[edit] Breakthrough (2000–2002)

Zinta's first release in 2000 was the drama Kya Kehna, which unexpectedly turned out to be a box office success.^[17] The film was known for taking on themes of single parenthood and teenage pregnancy, and gained Zinta wider recognition from the audience as well as film critics.^[11][15] Her portrayal of a teenage single mother who tries to fight societal prejudice earned her a number of award nominations, including her first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare.

Later that year, Zinta starred in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's drama Mission Kashmir alongside Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik Roshan. Set in the valley of Kashmir during the Indo-Pakistani conflicts, the film dealt with the topic of terrorism and crime, as seen through the eyes of Aaltaf, played by Roshan. Zinta played the role of Sufiya Parvez, a TV reporter and Aaltaf's childhood love. Her performance was generally well received. The Hindu wrote, "Preity Zinta is her usual cherubic self and lends colour to the otherwise serious proceedings."^[18] The film was the third highest grossing film of the year in India.^[19]

In 2001, Zinta earned positive reviews for her role in Farhan Akhtar's National Film Award-winning Dil Chahta Hai, co-starring Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna. Depicting the contemporary routine life of Indian affluent youth, the film tells the story of three friends, with Zinta playing a young woman and Khan's love interest, Shalini.^[20] Rediff.com wrote of Zinta that she "is beautiful and vibrant, wavering between endearingly naive and confused..."^[21]

Three more 2001 releases featured Zinta, including Abbas Mustan's romantic drama Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, which was released after a one-year delay due to the trial of producer Bharat Shah (see below). The film was one of the first Bollywood movies to handle the issue of surrogate childbirth.^[22] Zinta's performance as Madhubala, a prostitute hired as a surrogate mother, earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination. Rediff.com noted, "Preity Zinta, who clearly has the meatiest part of all, makes the best of it. Her transformation from the cocky and unabashed prostitute to a sensitive and warm person is amazingly believable."^[23] Soon after this film, Zinta was recognised for her versatility as an actress;^[2] regarded for enacting diverse characters, such as the teenage single mother in Kya Kehna, the CBI officer in Sangharsh and the surrogate mother in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke,^[2] she was credited with bringing a new image for a leading actress in Bollywood.^[3]

In 2002, Zinta collaborated once again with director Kundan Shah, playing the main protagonist in the family drama Dil Hai Tumhaara, alongside Rekha, Mahima Chaudhary and Arjun Rampal. Although it failed to do well at the box office, her portrayal of Shalu, an adopted daughter craving love was critically acclaimed. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM noted, "...Preity Zinta, in an author-backed role...steals the show with a sterling performance. Her scenes with Rekha (second half) and Alok Nath (pre-climax) are simply outstanding. Here's a performance that is sure to win accolades from the junta and critics whole-heartedly."^[24]

[edit] Success (2003–present)

Zinta was the female lead in three of 2003's highest grossing films in India—The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, Koi... Mil Gaya and Kal Ho Naa Ho.^[25] Her first release, the patriotic drama The Hero, co-starred Sunny Deol and Priyanka Chopra. The film was the most expensive film of the year, but failed to recover its costs at the box office.^[25] Zinta's next release was Honey Irani's directorial debut, Armaan, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. The drama, set in a hospital, deals with the trials and tribulations among its personnel and its principal, Dr. Akash, who is desperate to sustain the hospital financially. Zinta played Akash's schizophrenic wife Sonia Kapoor. She received positive notices for her performance, as well as nominations for Best Villain at different award ceremonies. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM.com noted, "Preity Zinta comes up with another superb performance, essaying her part with utmost sincerity."^[26] This was followed by Rakesh Roshan's science fiction Koi... Mil Gaya, about a developmentally disabled young man. Co-starring alongside Rekha and Hrithik Roshan, Zinta played the role of Nisha, a young woman whom Roshan befriends. She received another Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare. The film was the biggest hit of the year as well as Zinta's highest grossing movie to date, with a domestic gross of Rs 489 million.^[25] Zinta's last release that year was Kal Ho Naa Ho, a tearjerker directed by Nikhil Advani and written by Karan Johar, co-starring Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan. It was India's second biggest hit after Koi... Mil Gaya and the biggest Indian hit of the year overseas, earning over Rs 600 million worldwide.^[5] Zinta played the role of Naina Catherine Kapur, an insecure and angry Indian-American girl, who falls in love with a guy who has a fatal heart disease. She won several awards for her performance, including the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Derek Elley from Variety wrote, "Zinta, who's been carving a growing following the past three years or so, has never been better, definitively moving from juve roles to a charismatic young woman with her sexy, assured Naina."^[27]

In 2004 she starred as TV journalist Romila Dutta in Farhan Akhtar's war drama Lakshya, co-starring Hrithik Roshan. The film was based on the historical events of the 1999 Kargil Conflict. Zinta's character was modeled after TV journalist Barkha Dutt, the only female reporter covering the events. The film was a critical success, yet Zinta's performance received mixed reviews; Rediff.com noted, "Zinta has quite a good role and a good deal of footage in the film, and she does a fairly decent job of it without ever being spectacular."^[28] Later that year, Yash Chopra cast her opposite Shahrukh Khan for the lead female role in the love legend Veer-Zaara, which was the top grossing Bollywood film of that year in both India and abroad, earning over Rs 750 million worldwide.^[5] The film, which relates the love story of an Indian officer and a Pakistani woman, received a significant reception worldwide,^[29] and Zinta's portrayal of a Pakistani girl was praised. She received her fourth nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award, and won a Stardust Star of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. Variety noted, "Zinta, the most interesting young actress of her generation, is her usual lively self as the willful Zaara."^[30] Veer-Zaara was Zinta's second highest grossing film and third major hit in two consecutive years, and marked her entry into Yash Raj Films, one of the largest production houses in Bollywood.^[31]

In 2005, which saw her appear in two movies, her first release was the folk comedy Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karen, co-starring Govinda, a production which had been delayed since 2002. The film received negative reviews and poor winnings at the box office. Zinta's role was small, and was not well received.^[32] Her next release was Siddharth Anand's comedy-drama Salaam Namaste, co-starring Saif Ali Khan. The film was another Yash Raj big budget film and went on to become the year's biggest hit overseas, with revenue of Rs 430 million internationally.^[5] It is the story of two Indians who live together without marriage. Zinta played the female protagonist Ambar Malhotra, a single modern young woman who leaves India to make her own life in Australia. The film was well received by critics, and Zinta's performance was praised in particular, earning her nominations for Best Actress at a number of award ceremonies. Taran Adarsh wrote, "After Kya Kehna, Preity Zinta accepts the challenge of portraying an unwed mother yet again in Salaam Namaste. The actor is terrific, delivering her most accomplished performance to date. Her lip locks with Saif Ali Khan will catch a lot of people unaware, but that's the sign of a thorough professional."^[33]

Zinta received further success in 2006, starring in Karan Johar's drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna along with an ensemble cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Kirron Kher. The film became one of the biggest box office hits in India, earning Rs 464 million, and grossed over Rs 445 million overseas, the biggest Bollywood hit in the overseas market ever, which simultaneously became her fourth overseas top earner in four consecutive years.^[5] The film tells the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, and a resulting extramarital affair. Zinta played the role of Rhea Saran, a stylish and modern fashion magazine editor; her performance was appreciated by critics. According to indiaFM, "Preity not only looks gorgeous, but the dedication to her role shows at vital points. Her penultimate scene with Rani Mukerji, when she confronts her at the marriage reception, is fabulous."^[34] She then starred in Shirish Kunder's romantic musical Jaan-E-Mann, a story of two guys in the United States loving the same girl, co-starring Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. The film received positive reviews from critics, yet performed poorly at the box office.^[35] Zinta played the role of Piya, the cynosure of two men. Although she had a small role and an underdeveloped character, which was described by Rediff as "ornament throughout", her acting performance was generally well received.^[36] Rajeev Masand from CNN IBN wrote, "Of the principal cast, Preity Zinta looks a million bucks, but she's got the shortest role of the three, which is odd considering the entire story revolves around her. The actress brings a quiet dignity to the role and exercises restraint in her performance, lending her character the maturity that it requires."^[37] She explained that the film was a great relief after heavily shooting for Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, as the former was "easy, happy and much more simple."^[38]

In 2007 Zinta portrayed the character of a British Pakistani young woman, Alvira Khan, in her third Yash Raj Film, Shaad Ali's comedy Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, alongside Abhishek Bachchan, Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta. The film was a critical and commercial failure in India. She was criticised for her role, with The Times of India writing that, "she is too plastic as the Paki-Brit girl".^[39]

Later in 2007, Zinta began working with art film directors, and turned towards neo-realistic cinemas, known in India as parallel cinema.^[40] She acted in her first English film, Rituparno Ghosh's The Last Lear, as a struggling theatre actress opposite Amitabh Bachchan. The film premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival, and was well received. The first reviews were positive, with one critic writing "It's great to see her doing a completely natural role. She played her role with real dignity and it was a pleasure seeing her getting back to her initial style of acting".^[41] On her first art film, Zinta said "I did think with art films that they don't pay you, they don't feed you, but I was wrong, and I'm so happy to be here".^[42] As of October 2007, she is set to star in Jahnu Barua's forthcoming film Har Pall.

[edit] Other work

[edit] Columnist

In 2004, Zinta joined a line up of South Asia's commentators for BBC News Online.^[43] She expressed her joy at participating in this project, saying, "I am pretty outspoken and have my own view on every subject. So it will be a good platform for me to air my views."^[44] Her first column, "The changing face of Bollywood", published in January 2004,^[45] discussed the progression of Bollywood and how it has evolved in the last decade. The column turned out to be a success, and became one of the site's top 10 most widely read stories on the day.^[46] In her second column, "Odds stacked against Indian women", Zinta scathed the eve teasing phenomenon in India, and criticised eve-teasers overall.^[47] She wrote, "Incidences like these take away a woman's dignity, her space and her freedom...why the state is so helpless in protecting the women. Why should women feel unsafe in a country which had an internationally revered woman prime minister?" The column caught the worldwide attention of readers, and thousands of e-mails were addressed to Zinta from people across the globe.^[48] It was applauded particularly by women for its stand against abuse of Indian women.^[48] Her third column, "The darkness that all actors fear", was a more personal column and dealt with her stardom, fans, insecurity and fears as an actor.^[49] Her fourth and last column titled "Facing death in Sri Lanka and Thailand", published in 2005, described her two near escapes from death in late 2004 (see below).^[50]

[edit] Stage performances

Zinta has taken part in several stage shows and world tours since 2001. Her first world tour, a series of concerts called Craze 2001, was performed across the U.S. alongside Anil Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Gracy Singh. The show faced early cancellation due to September 11, 2001 attacks, and the team was willing to return to India as soon as possible. However, the shows continued in Canada and went on to do well.^[51]

In 2002, Zinta took part in the world tour From India With Love in the UK, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. The show took place in two outdoor venues at Manchester’s Old Trafford Football Stadium and London's Hyde Park, with over 100,000 spectators.^[52] Zinta's largest world tour was in 2004, when she joined a group of stars (Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Rampal, and Priyanka Chopra) in the Temptation 2004 tour. Showcased in over 22 countries across the world,^[53] it became Bollywood's most prominent concert internationally.^[54] In 2006, Zinta was part of the Heat 2006 concert around the world, along with Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley.^[55]

[edit] Humanitarian work

During her years in the industry, Zinta has been part of different charities,^[56] and has supported several women-related causes in India, such as female infanticide prevention.^[57] Zinta has also been part of AIDS awareness drives as well as campaigns to clean up Mumbai.^[58] In 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.^[59]

In 2006, as the brand ambassador of Godfrey Phillips Bravery movement, Zinta attended a blood donation camp organised by the Rotary Club of Delhi in association with Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards, lending her support to the cause of women empowerment,^[60] and promoting the humanitarian cause of donating blood. She said, "Donating blood doesn't kill one but goes on to save somebody's life [...] Once blood is donated it becomes universal and might be used by anyone in need, irrespective of community, caste or region. It binds people together".^[60]

In 2007, Zinta along with Rani Mukerji, donated Rs 250,000 of her winnings from Kaun Banega Crorepati to the Shimla District Red Cross Society in Himachel Pradesh.^[61] In January 2007, Zinta visited Hisar, Haryana, and spent a day at the army training base to boost the morale of the jawans (troops), and experience the kind of life that they lead. The visit was conducted for an NDTV show, Jai Jawan, where entertainers and actors visit Indian troops to encourage them. Zinta also met children with disabilities at a special school maintained by the army.^[62] In August of that year Zinta, along with Mumbai-based artist Gurcharan Singh, painted for the cause of street children for the non-governmental organisation Khushi.^[63]

[edit] Personal life

Zinta used to visit her native town Shimla when not busy in shooting. In 2006, Zinta moved into her own home in Mumbai.^[64] Zinta identifies herself as not of a very religious nature. During an interview with The Times of India, she commented, "...I believe in good deeds, in karma, I don’t believe in going to temples. For me, religion is very personal. It’s all about having faith...We have heard and read that all religions are equal. Now I am increasingly believing in this."^[65] Zinta narrowly escaped death twice in late 2004. The first occurred after an explosion at a Temptation concert in Colombo, Sri Lanka; the second occurred during the Indian Ocean earthquake.^[66]

Zinta has been the subject of several controversies.^[67] In 2003, as a witness in the Bharat Shah case, Zinta testified against the Indian Underworld. Bharat Shah, the financer of the Zinta-starrer Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, was arrested in 2000 for having connections with Chhota Shakeel, a Mumbai underworld boss.^[68] Unlike several of her colleagues, Zinta stood on her earliest statement that she had received money extortion threats from the mafia during the shooting of the film.^[69] After this testimonial, she was given police protection and was forced to stay out of the public eye for two months.^[70] Thirteen other witnesses before her, including celebrities Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan, were witnesses in the case but retracted their statements.^[71] Zinta was the only witness not to have turned hostile;^[71] her courage to testify was appreciated by the nation.^[72] Consequently, she was the first recipient of Godfrey's Mind of Steel Award at the annual Red and White Bravery Awards, given to her for the "Courageous Act" of standing against the Mumbai Underworld.^[72] On receiving the award, Zinta said: "To be brave is not to be fearless. It is when you fear and you get over it, then you can be called brave. I am human. It is not that I fear nothing. But getting over a fear is a continuous process and I have been successful so far".^[73] Since 2006, Zinta has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Godfrey Phillips Bravery awards.^[60]

The tabloids have often linked Zinta with other Bollywood stars, but she has strongly denied these rumours.^[74] In 2000, Zinta began dating model Marc Robinson. They separated one year later, and according to Zinta, remained on good terms. Asked in Filmfare about their break-up, Zinta proclaimed that she cherished "...very, very fond memories of the times we were together and I'd like to keep it to that."^[75] Zinta has been dating the Bombay Dyeing heir, businessman Ness Wadia since February 2005.^[76] Their relationship is frequently reported in the media, and is often subject to speculation in the press of a possible engagement.^[77] In December 2006, another controversy featured Zinta when Ness Wadia was reported to have attacked construction workers at Zinta's residence in Bandra; reportedly, a woman was critically injured and a child was hurt.^[78] Zinta reacted angrily at hearing these rumours on national news; she confronted the journalists and criticised their conduct. She challenged the press to come up with proof, and offered Rs 1 crore (Rs 10 million) if an injured woman were found. The press found nothing and the rumour was considered to be false.^[78]

In March 2007, Zinta was involved in a scandal when actress and singer Suchitra Krishnamurthy cited Zinta as the cause of her divorce with Shekhar Kapur, alleging that Zinta was having an affair with her husband.^[79] Although initially silent on this issue,^[79] on further accusation by Krishnamurthy, Zinta retorted, "It is unfortunate that I am bearing the brunt of someone else’s paranoia. She’s clearly unstable and I wish her a speedy recovery."^[79] Zinta issued a statement that she had met Kapur only five times in 10 years and demanded that he step into the picture and clear her name from this controversy.^[80] Thereafter, the controversy came to an end.^[81]

[edit] In the media

Zinta is particularly known in the Indian media for her straightforwardness and honestly expressing her outspoken views and forthright opinions in public, be it about her on-screen or off-screen life or raising a voice against any social injustice.^[9] These features were noted in the Bharat Shah Case, when she testified against the underworld; following this incident, she was described by journalists as "The only man in Bollywood".^[3][57] Her characteristic dimple has been cited by the media as her trademark. She is often described by the press as having a vivacious personality and a bubbly outgoing persona, an image she has confessed to dislike.^[70]

In 2003, Zinta was placed number one on Rediff's "Top Bollywood Female Stars".^[6] In the following years, she was ranked second for three consecutive years (2004–06).^[7] Zinta has been frequently featured in other lists by Rediff including "Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses",^[82] "Bollywood's Best Dressed Women"^[83] and "Woman of Many Faces".^[84] In September 2006, she was ranked at number 41 by the UK magazine Eastern Eye as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women".^[85] Zinta is the first Indian actress to be featured on the cover of the first issue of the Marie Claire magazine to be sold in India.^[86]

On July 15, 2005, Zinta filed a defamation case against leading Mumbai tabloid Mid-Day after tapes emerged alleging that Salman Khan had made derogatory comments about her. The tabloid published the part of the tape which indicated that Zinta had a sexual relationship with the actor. Zinta was cross-examined as a chief witness in January 2007.^[87] She said on the issue, "I felt humiliated as it spoiled my reputation and character in public". She explained that she had received disparaging phone calls from impostors stating that they were Salman Khan, and that she had been repeatedly questioned in a derogatory fashion by the media regarding this issue.^[88] Zinta further stated that the ruckus not only affected her personally but professionally; a planned future film with Khan was abandoned. The tape was tested in the Government's Forensic laboratory in Chandigarh, which concluded that it was a fake, although the case is on-going.^[89]

During 2004-2007, Zinta has made three appearances on the Indian talk show Koffee with Karan, hosted by Karan Johar, appearing with Saif Ali Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and Bobby Deol, respectively. In 2006, she was a guest judge in the singing talent contest Indian Idol 2. She had a stint with her earlier occupation as a model, when she walked the ramp for Manish Malhotra's fashion display Fashion Week 2006, titled Freedom, along with actress Kajol.^[90] Later that year, Zinta and filmmaker Karan Johar represented Bollywood at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, taking the opportunity to promote Johar's then forthcoming Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, which had Zinta in one of the leading roles.^[91]

In May 2007, Zinta returned to the 60th annual Cannes Film Festival to attend the premiere of My Blueberry Nights, which opened the festival.^[92] She co-hosted the 52nd Filmfare Awards ceremony, alongside Shahrukh Khan, Karan Johar and Juhi Chawla^[93] and was chosen as the first brand ambassador for GoAir, a new Airway service. The airline owner, Jeh Wadia from Wadia Group, is Ness Wadia's younger brother and Zinta was willing to deny any speculation that it was a family-related publicity stunt.^[94]

[edit] Filmography

See also: List of Preity Zinta's awards and nominations

[edit] See also

• List of Indian movie actresses
• List of people from Himachal Pradesh
• List of military brats
• List of Rajputs

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Gangadhar V. Preity magic. The Tribune. July 24, 2004. Retrieved on October 8, 2007.
• Hahn, Lorraine. Bollywood Actress, Preity Zinta Talk Asia Interview Transcript. CNN.com, December 18, 2004. Retrieved on September 26, 2007.
• Khubchandani, Lata. 'I had this illusion that filmstars are like kings and queens'. Rediff.com, May 22, 2000. Retrieved on September 15, 2007.
• Nambiar, Smitha. The Dimpled Preity. Indiainfo.com Ltd. January 10, 2005. Retrieved on September 15, 2007.
• Peschardt, Michael. What Preity Zinta wants in the new India. Rediff.com, April 24, 2006. Retrieved on November 7, 2007.
• Pillai, Jitesh. Freedom at midnight...Preity Zinta. Indiatimes.com. April 2001. Retrieved on September 27, 2007.
• Verma, Sukanya. Preity purrfect!. Rediff.com, 2001. Retrieved on September 15, 2007.
• Zee Television. Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai. Zee TV.com, April 19, 2002. Retrieved on October 31, 2007.

[edit] External links

• Preity Zinta at the Internet Movie Database

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