Preity Zinta

Preity Zinta (born January 31, 1975 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India) is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood movies. She is among the most successful actresses in Bollywood.

• Ambition:
  • I want to bring a change and do something new and different in my profession, but in the beginning I’ll have to toe line, I want to be known as a performer not a star.^[1]

• Plus Point:
  • I am easy to work with and get along well with almost everybody.^[1]

• Minus Point:
  • My Hindi direction is screwed up, I blink too much and I have no technical knowledge of film making.^[1]

• As an Actress:
  • I want to be like Sridevi & I want to do both glamorous and non-glamorous roles like Manisha Koirala, I don’t want to be called just a pretty bimbo.^[1]

• On School:
  • I studied at the Jesus and Mary Simla Convent School, and then I went to St Bedes College. I was always involved in elocutions, dramatics, debates, basketball, which I loved. I had so much fun. We did the craziest things.^[1]

• On First Encounters With Bollywood:
  • Shekhar Kapur's Tara Rum Pam Pam was the first film I signed. I met him and he asked me to audition. At that point, I wasn't sure, so I said I didn't really want to audition. But I did, and two weeks later, he called me and asked me to do the movie.^[1]

• Things she find most attractive in a man:
  • A couple of things-intelligence, self-esteem; I like men who are sure of themselves and not just weathercocks and most importantly, integrity. Common sense and humour also help.^[1]

• Love, money, sex or power:
  • Love is most important. Least important would be power because if you have money, you automatically have power. Sex is also important because I'm a normal person.^[1]

• Competition
  • Well, there will always be competition, especially in showbiz. There's always someone younger and hungrier standing behind, you there's always someone with more contacts, there's always someone whose grandfather or father is a filmmaker. I think your job is just to be there 100% - you work hard and there are no shortcuts to success.^[2]

• Childhood
  • ...I was a total disaster I think. I was very very naughty, I was a total tomboy. And um, I got whacked around a lot, I was just really really naughty.^[2]

• I lost my father when I was 13-years-old. He was a great man, my father, and very intelligent. I love him very much. I believe it's very important that parents have a personal connection with their children. It helps kids feel more secure, have a feeling of family, makes them feel loved. ^[3]

• Whenever I came across something that influenced me, I wanted to be that. So it varied from an astronaut, airhostess, army girl, to truck driver. Once, I wanted to be a nun - my mother wanted me to change schools after that...^[3]

• I am single and desperately looking for a good man in my life. I did have major crushes when I was younger but no serious relationship.^[3]

• I want to bring a change and do something new and different in my profession, but in the beginning I'll have to toe line, I want to be known as a performer not a star.^[3]

• I am proud to be part of today's Bollywood. I love dancing and lip synching to our songs.^[3]

• To act, you must know pain. You must know what it means to be in love, what it means to be rejected.^[3]

• You know what's the worst part about being an actress? It's the pressure to look gorgeous all the time and to behave perfectly. But I'm not perfect, nobody is.^[3]

• Acting can truly take a toll on your nerves. I mean we have to be larger than life. Worse, I've seen actors acting off the sets too.^[3]

• On the changing face of Indian cinema "At one time I wondered if I was doing the right films, today I know I have made the right choices. Indian cinema is changing, not step by step but by leaps. New blood is coming in, mindsets are changing and our exposure to the world is ever-increasing. I am glad these positive changes are happening when I am in the industry and not ten years from now.^[3]

• On love at first sight It is superficial to fall in love with someone looking at their face. To me I need to discover the person. I would never look at someone and exclaim - He is the one!^[3]

• I don't see myself working in a Hollywood film. ^[4]

• The Fastest way to make you dream come true is to wake up!

• How do I pick a role? Well, primarily I think I would like to be part of a film that's progressive as well as entertaining, you know? Because in India we have a huge amount of audience that is not educated, and they really look up to films... So I think it's important to do a film... that's entertaining but has a message. And after that I'd like to do films that are different for me -- if I'm doing a love story then I want to do a war film, if I'm doing a war film then I want to do a story about an un-wed mother. I think variety is the spice of life.^[2]

• ...my favourite [co-actor] is always the recent one I'm working with. But I think one of my personal favourites is Shah Rukh, he's one of the best actors I've worked with.^[2]

• Becoming an actress
  • I never intended to be an actor. It was not something I thought I would be, it was not something I dreamt of. I think it was my destiny to be an actor...^[2]

• First job in acting
  • ...acting is not just talent there's a lot of technicality. You have to see that this is the focus points that's the light, you have to catch the light, you have to give your facing. So all these things I just learnt them, and I grew with every film. ^[2]

• Critics
  • I think critics first noticed me in my first film. I was very lucky with the critics. But the critics are really nice to you when you start off, it's only later that they start badgering you. ^[2]

• I wear Whatever I feel comfortable in. I like to mix and match. I'll buy something from the street. I'll buy something from a fashion house.^[5]

• I had to attend this party instantly and I didn't have shoes. So I went and bought a pair of shoes worth 1,200 Euro. I look at those shoes and go 'This is the most expensive bite of my life'.^[5]

• On Shahrukh Khan:
  • The one colleague I look up to is Shahrukh; he takes a lot of care of you. He’ll help you, he’ll give you cues and he’ll always be there for you. He’s very big-hearted and that only comes in not competing with you, he’s too beyond that to be competing with you. There is nobody else like him.^[6]

• On Rani Mukerji:
  • I have said repeatedly that Rani and I are not the best of friends. But yes, we have given hit films together. Rani is a very sensible and a very talented actress. I love having her as my co-star. I always tell her that our jodi is something like Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. But personally, we are like chalk and cheese, not the best of friends.^[7]
  • I think Rani is a very good actor. I have always liked her performances. I have always liked the way she works. And it's really nice because when there are good actors, you obviously want to do better and if there is quality, then it gives you a better chance to do things better. So I think yes, her work affects me in a very positive way. Because in some way out of all the actors I've worked with, out of my generation of actors, my contemporaries, I think she is the best.
  • Rani won the award for best actress and I was happy for her. She is a wonderful actress and deserved to win. Rani & I work well together in films. We are not good good friends but we are friends. Rani is a great actress & she has a number of good films coming up.All I can say is that Rani is very friendly to me when I see her; in fact she's very sweet to me.

• On Saif Ali Khan:
  • Saif and I share such a wonderful rapport. It showed up in all the four films we have done so far.^[8]

• On Karan Johar:
  • My first film with Karan Johar as director (Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna). And he goes into a totally unexplored territory. To that extent I guess I will be building on my reputation as an actor who takes risks.^[8]

• On Hrithik Roshan:
  • I came to know Hrithik through his wife (Suzanne Khan). Suzanne and I have been best friends for the last 10 years. I remember the first time Hrithik and I met. He was the guy Suzanne was seeing and came with a cake on my birthday. I found him very thin. I remember he told Suzanne, "What kind of a friend do you have? She comes late on her own birthday!".^[9]

• On Salman Khan:

• • He (Salman) may not be media savvy, he may be involved in some unfortunate incidents, but Salman at heart is one of the nicest guys I know in the industry, and even outside it. He is constantly being misrepresented in the media and being made a target just because he happens to be a celebrity.^[10]

• On Abhishek Bachchan:
  • He's amazing to work with... [Jhoom Barabar Jhoom] was our first full-fledged film together. I've come back from London loving him even more. He's so adorable. Absolutely fantastic!^[11]

• On Bobby Deol:
  • We had a great time during Soldier. Bobby remains the same. Quiet and wise.^[12]

• On her co-stars generally:
  • I guess I've been lucky. I've shared a great rapport with all of them. As for the female co-stars, they're fine too. Except that I'm expected to become best friends with each one I work with. I don't make best friends with my co-stars, male or female.^[11]

• On Amitabh Bachchan:
  • Amit-ji is outstanding. He wasn't well. His mom was in hospital. His house was flooded. And he was dancing away with me and Abhishek! If this isn't dedication, what is?^[13]
  • (After the shooting of The Last Lear): I've already decided, if I ever direct a film I'll cast him in it. ^[14]
  • (After the shooting of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom): ...Mr. Bachchan... what can you say about him, he is like God and I just love him.^[15]

• Rani Mukerji:
  • Preity is a lovely co-star. All our films together have worked. She keeps joking that she'll put me in her wedding picture to ensure her marriage remains a superhit.^[16]
  • Preity and I have always shared a good working relationship. We were never great pals, but we vibe so well on-screen that to the media and outsiders it appears that we are great friends in real life, too.

• Abhishek Bachchan:
  • She's one of the nicest persons I've met.^[17]

• Brett Lee:
  • Preity Zinta is my favourite actress.^[18]

• Jaya Bachchan:
  • (While giving her speech after winning the best supporting actress Filmfare award) Preity, I loved playing your mother.
  • Preity and I made a most natural daughter-mother pair in Kal Ho Naa Ho. We didn't have to fake our feelings. It was like sitting and talking to my own daughter. Like my Shweta, Preity is so young and yet like my friend. But Shweta is not as talkative as Preity.^[19]

• Akshay Kumar
  • She's the Basanti of my Sholayland. She is a lovely co-star to work with.^[20]

• Hrithik Roshan
  • Preity is one of the few actors I've had the pleasure of working with, who is not selfish in the least. I guess that stems from security.^[21]

• Manisha Koirala
  • I really like the girl. She's a good actress and lives life on her own terms. What I find particularly attractive about Preity is the fact that in her case what you see is what you get. There are no pretentions. We don't party often, but whenever we do, we're always able to connect.^[21]

• Gracy Singh
  • I would like being compared to good actresses like Preity Zinta.^[21]

• Saif Ali Khan
  • Well, Preity has been lucky for me. I hope she continues that way.^[21]

• Priyanka Chopra:
  • Preity... is very bubbly and straightforward and I enjoyed my interaction with her during the Temptations World Tour.^[21]

• Celina Jaitley:
  • Preity Zinta is like my elder sister. We bonded really well during our world tour.^[22]

• Tania Zaetta, Australian TV actress and co-star in Salaam Namaste
  • I hit it off very well with Preity Zinta while shooting for Salaam Namaste in Australia. She is utterly non-filmi and so friendly. We would go for sightseeing and chill out together. The unit used to refer to us as ‘the two Zees’ or the ‘Zinta-Zaetta’ duo.^[21]

• Upen Patel (model and actor)
  • Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra and Preity Zinta are far more beautiful than anyone else - not just in India but in Hollywood as well. They are a perfect blend of sweet and sexy.^[21]

• Katrina Kaif
  • Except for Preity Zinta, I haven't met a single secure actress in Bollywood.^[23]

• On Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Music directors of Kal Ho Naa Ho
  • Shankar Ehsaan Loy are my lucky music directors.^[15]

• On Shaad Ali, Director of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
  • He's so quiet and yet so much in charge on the sets. I've never had so much fun on location. But then come to think of it, I always make sure I've fun. We call him Fidel on the sets. Why? Because with his beard he looks like the young Fidel Castro ^[12]

• On Rituparno Ghosh, Director of The Last Lear
  • Ghosh is a magician and so calm... [It] didn’t seem like we were making a very serious film.^[14]

• Farah Khan (Choreographer)
  • Preity Zinta in Dil Se was one such example. She could not dance and I had to change the steps for the hit number, Jiya jale from the typical classical ones to those that would suit her personality. I even allowed her to use her own expressions to match the steps!^[21]

• Tanuja Chandra (Director of Sangharsh)
  • I've got unusual performances out of Kajol in 'Dushman', Preity Zinta in 'Sangharsh' and Mahima in 'Film Star'.^[21]

• Deepa Mehta (Director of Heaven on Earth)
  • Everyone on the sets just loved her. She's a real trouper - warm, alive and courageous. And she has amazing talent.^[24]

• On Jaan-E-Mann:
  • If I were to do it, I would act in Jaan-E-Mann all over again -- and again and again. ^[25]

• On Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna:
  • Abhishek and I are like the anchors in the plot. I was never more scared of a role. A little bit this or that way, and my character could've toppled over. Thank god Rhea doesn't come across as a bitch. I constantly kept looking at Karan for reassurance. I never had to be directed so closely before.^[26]
  • Shah Rukh’s wife Gauri and Jaya (Bachchan) aunty think highly of me in the film. It felt good to be wearing clothes that sometimes cost more than the location.^[27]

• On Chori Chori Chupke Chupke:
  • I did refuse the role of Madhubala in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. I was keen on playing Rani's character instead. ^[28]

• On Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007) and Shaad Ali:
  • I was shooting for Jhoom Barabar Jhoom in London. Shaad was a revelation...very nice, very cute. ^[11]

• On Lakshya (2004)
  • Physically, it was the toughest film [of my career]. I can work 25 hours a day. I have that energy. But everything is against you sometimes -- the weather, the terrain.^[29]
  • There is a lot that goes into my character in Lakshya. I was really excited because I come from an army background. I read every possible book about this war because I was playing a journalist. I also spoke to a couple of journalists.^[29]

• On Veer-Zaara (2004)
  • Well, first of all it was directed by Mr. Yash Chopra, he's one of India's finest directors. His career spans over five decades and I think for me to be part of this film was an absolute honour. Second, I think the way people think is reflected in their art and is reflected in their cinema. There was a time with Pakistan we were going through a lot of problems, we had a war and we made movies that were war-oriented, we made a lot of films. And I think today with this script, we've reached a stage where people have said' ok, it's time to move on'.^[2]

• On being invited to the Cannes Film Festival in 2006:
  • It is an honour to represent your country at the global platform.^[30]

• On shooting in New York:
  • It is a beautiful city. It is one of my favourite cities in the world. It's a city that never sleeps. It is amazing to be in New York. ^[31]

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Preity Zinta

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