Preity Zinta ( born January 31, 1975) is an Indian film actress. She has appeared in Hindi cinemas of Bollywood, as well as Telugu and English language 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, portraying a diversity of characters, subsequently credited with bringing a change in the image of Hindi film heroine.
Zinta received her first Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in the drama Kal Ho Naa Ho in 2003, which became India's top-grossing film in the overseas market that year. 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, 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. Zinta thus has established herself as a leading actress of Hindi cinema.
In addition to acting, 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. These controversies include most notably her being the only witness not to retract in court her earlier statements against the Indian underworld during the Bharat Shah case, for which she won the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Award.
Early life and backgroundBorn on January 31, 1975 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, Zinta hails from a Hindu Rajput family of Rohru in Shimla district. 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. 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. 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.
Zinta, a self-confessed tomboy in the early stages of her life, was influenced primarily by her father. As a child groomed in an army household, she grew up with values such as discipline and punctuality. She studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary boarding school in Shimla. 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. As a student, she developed a love for literature, particularly William Shakespeare and poetry, and even tried writing poetry herself. According to Zinta, whilst she liked studies and received good grades in school, she enjoyed spending time outside, and was interested in sports, particularly basketball.
Upon graduating from the boarding school at age 18, Zinta enrolled at St Bede's College in Shimla. She initially majored in English honours, but later pursued an advanced programme in psychology. Although she earned a degree in criminal psychology, Zinta later took up modelling. 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.
Early career (1998–1999)In 1997, Zinta met film-maker 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.
Zinta started shooting for Kundan Shah's Kya Kehna, the release of which was delayed until 2000. 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. However, she was eventually noticed for her role, particularly for the forthright character she played. 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. She next played her first leading role in the action drama Soldier, which was one of the biggest hits of the year. Zinta won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for her performance in both Dil Se and Soldier.
Zinta next acted in two Telugu films, Premante Idera (1998) opposite Venkatesh, and Raja Kumarudu (1999) opposite Mahesh Babu. She followed with the leading role in the thriller Sangharsh, alongside Akshay Kumar. The film, based on the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, 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.
Breakthrough (2000–2002)Zinta's first release in 2000 was the drama Kya Kehna, which unexpectedly turned out to be a box office success. The film was known for addressing the themes of single parenthood and teenage pregnancy, and gained Zinta wider recognition from the public as well as film critics. Her portrayal of a teenage single mother who fights societal prejudice earned her a number of award nominations, including her first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare.
Later that year, she 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's role was that of Sufiya Parvez, a TV reporter and Aaltaf's childhood love. Her performance was generally well received. One review in The Hindu said, "Preity Zinta is her usual cherubic self and lends colour to the otherwise serious proceedings." It was an economic success, becoming the third highest grossing film of the year in India.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 Aamir Khan's love interest, Shalini. Rediff.com wrote of Zinta that she "is beautiful and vibrant, wavering between endearingly naive and confused..."
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. Zinta's performance as Madhubala, a golden-hearted 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." After the release of this film, Zinta was recognised for her versatility as an actress; commended for work portraying a wide range of characters, including the teenage single mother in Kya Kehna, the CBI officer in Sangharsh and the surrogate mother in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, and even credited with bringing a new image for a leading actress in Bollywood.
In 2002, Zinta collaborated once again with director Kundan Shah, as the main protagonist in the family drama Dil Hai Tumhaara, alongside Rekha, Mahima Chaudhary and Arjun Rampal. Although it did not succeed 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.
Success (2003–present)Zinta was the female lead in the three highest grossing films in India in 2003 - The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, Koi... Mil Gaya and Kal Ho Naa Ho. Her first release, the patriotic drama The Hero, co-starred Sunny Deol and Priyanka Chopra. The film was the most expensive Bollywood film of the year, but failed to recover its production costs at the box office. 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. The film received predominantly positive reviews and Zinta was praised in particular. Taran Adarsh noted, "Preity Zinta comes up with another superb performance, essaying her part with utmost sincerity", and The Tribune concluded, "Zinta has outclassed everyone with her convincing performance." For her performance, Zinta received nominations for Best Villain at different award ceremonies, including Filmfare.
Rakesh Roshan's science fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya, about a developmentally disabled young man, followed. 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 for the role. The film was both a major financial and critical success. It became the biggest hit of the year as well as Zinta's highest grossing movie to date, with a domestic gross of Rs 489 million; and, among other awards, won the Filmfare Best Movie Award.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. The film was received favourably by critics, and became India's second biggest hit of the year after Koi... Mil Gaya. It also did well internationally, and became the biggest Indian hit of the year overseas, earning over Rs 600 million worldwide. Zinta played the role of Naina Catherine Kapur, an insecure and angry Indian-American girl, who falls in love with a man 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."
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."
Later that year, Yash Chopra cast her opposite Shahrukh Khan as the female lead in the love saga Veer-Zaara, which was the top grossing Bollywood film of that year in both India and abroad, earning over Rs 750 million worldwide. The film, which relates the love story of an Indian officer and a Pakistani woman, received a significant reception worldwide, and won several awards for Best Movie in major award ceremonies in India. Zinta's portrayal of a Pakistani girl was praised; she received her fourth Filmfare Best Actress nomination, and won the 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." Veer-Zaara was Zinta's second highest grossing film and third major hit in two consecutive years, and marked the beginning of her work with Yash Raj Films, one of the largest production houses in Bollywood.
In 2005, Zinta appeared 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. 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 highest grossing Bollywood production overseas, with revenues of Rs 430 million internationally. The film tells the story of a contemporary cohabiting Indian couple. 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 earned 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." Meanwile, The New York Times concluded, "She is cheerleader-homecoming queen-fraternity sweetheart pretty, so even when her characters are being unkind it's hard not to like her."
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. It simultaneously became her fourth overseas top earner in four consecutive years. The film tells the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, and an ensuing 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."
She then starred in Shirish Kunder's romantic musical Jaan-E-Mann, a story of two men in the United States loving the same woman, co-starring Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. The film received positive reviews from critics, yet performed poorly at the box office. 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. 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." 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."
In 2007 Zinta portrayed the character of a British Pakistani 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 performance, with The Times of India writing that "she is too plastic as the Paki-Brit girl".
Later in 2007, Zinta began working with art film directors, and turned towards neo-realistic cinemas, known in India as parallel cinema. 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 approving, 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". Zinta herself said about her first art film, "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. As of October 2007, she is set to star in Jahnu Barua's forthcoming film Har Pall.
Other workIn 2004, Zinta joined a line up of South Asia's commentators for BBC News Online. 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. Her first column, "The changing face of Bollywood", published in January 2004, 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. In her second column, "Odds stacked against Indian women", Zinta scathed the eve teasing phenomenon in India, and criticised those who indulge in such behaviour. 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. It was applauded particularly by women for its stand against abuse of Indian women. 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. 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.
Stage performancesZinta 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 the 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. 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. 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, it became Bollywood's most prominent concert internationally. In 2006, Zinta was part of the Heat 2006 world tour, along with Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley.
Humanitarian workDuring her years in the industry, Zinta has been involved with different charities, and has supported several women-related causes in India, such as female infanticide prevention. Zinta has also taken part in AIDS awareness drives and campaigns to clean up Mumbai. In 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert raising money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. In 2006, as an ambassador of the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Movement, Zinta attended a blood donation camp organised by the Rotary Club of Delhi and the Godfrey Phillips Awards, lending her support to the cause of women's empowerment, 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".
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. 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, on which entertainers and actors visit Indian troops to encourage them. While there, Zinta also met children with disabilities at a special school maintained by the army. In August, Zinta, along with Mumbai-based artist Gurcharan Singh, painted for the cause of street children for the non-governmental organisation Khushi. In December, she joined the efforts of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to curb human trafficking in India. She lent her voice for creating awareness against the inhuman practice, for the need to provide protection and rehabilitation for those rescued, and punishing the perpetrators.
Personal lifeZinta used to visit her native town Shimla when not busy in shooting. In 2006, Zinta moved into her own home in Mumbai. Zinta identifies herself as not being of a particularly religious nature. In 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. 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.
Zinta has been the subject of several controversies. 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. Unlike several of her colleagues, Zinta repeated in court her earlier statement that she had received extortion threats from the mafia during the shooting of the film. After her testimony, she was given witness protection and was forced to stay out of the public eye for two months. Thirteen other witnesses before her, including celebrities Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan, were witnesses in the case but retracted their earlier statements. Zinta was the only witness not to have turned hostile to the prosecution; her courage to testify was appreciated by the nation. 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. 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". Since 2006, Zinta has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Godfrey Phillips Bravery awards.
The tabloids have often linked Zinta romantically with other Bollywood stars, but she has strongly denied these rumours. 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." Zinta has been dating the Bombay Dyeing heir, businessman Ness Wadia since February 2005. Their relationship is frequently reported on in the media, and is often subject to press speculation of a possible engagement. 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 in the incident. Zinta reacted angrily at hearing these rumours reported in the 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 has subsequently been regarded as false.
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 him. Although initially silent on this issue, 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. Zinta issued a statement that she had met Kapur only five times in 10 years and publicly demanded that he step forward and clear her of the accusation. Thereafter, the controversy came to an end.
