Preity Zinta - News, Pictures, Videos, Biography And Message Board
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Biography and Film History
Preity comes 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 also involving her mother, Nilprabha, who was severely injured and remained bedridden for two years. Zinta has two brothers, Deepankar and Manish, a year older and a year younger, respectively.
Zinta, a self-confessed tomboy in the early stages of her life, was influenced primarily by her father. She studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary boarding school in Shimla. As a student, she developed a love for literature, particularly William Shakespeare and poetry, and even tried writing poetry herself. She enjoyed spending time outside, and was interested in sports, particularly basketball.
Zinta completed school at the age of 18, and enrolled at the St Bede's College in Shimla. She initially studied English honours (major), 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 happened in 1996 when she met a commercials director at a friend's birthday party. Zinta attended the audition at the persuasion of the director, and was selected for the commercial.
In 1997, Zinta met director and producer Shekhar Kapur when she accompanied a friend to an audition and was asked to audition herself. Seeing her audition, Kapur insisted that she become an actress.
Zinta started shooting for Kundan Shah's Kya Kehna, but its release 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. Her portrayal of a middle class Delhi girl earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award nomination. She 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 Dil Se and Soldier. Zinta acted in two Telugu films, Premante Idera (1998) opposite Venkatesh, and Raja Kumarudu (1999) opposite Mahesh Babu. This was followed in 1999 by Tanuja Chandra's thriller Sangharsh, co-starring Akshay Kumar. The film was not a box office success, although Zinta's performance as a CBI officer was critically acclaimed.
Zinta's first release in 2000 was the drama film Kya Kehna. The film turned out to be a box office success. Later that year, Zinta starred in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's drama Mission Kashmir alongside Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik Roshan. The film was 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. 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 appreciated by critics.
Zinta was the female lead in three of 2003's highest grossing films in India. Her first release, the patriotic drama The Hero. Then released Honey Irani's directorial debut, Armaan. This was followed by Rakesh Roshan's science fiction Koi... Mil Gaya, about a developmentally disabled young man. She received a 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 Zinta's last release that year was Kal Ho Naa Ho, a tearjerker directed by Nikhil Advani. It was India's second biggest hit after Koi... Mil Gaya and the biggest Indian hit of the year overseas
In 2004 she starred as TV journalist Romila Dutta in Farhan Akhtar's war drama Lakshya. 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. Later that year, Yash Chopra cast her opposite Shahrukh Khan for the lead female role in the love legend Veer-Zaara, which was the biggest Bollywood hit of that year in both India and abroad. The film, which relates the love story of an Indian officer and a Pakistani woman, received a significant reception worldwide.
In 2005, which saw her appear in two movies, her first release was the folk comedy Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karen a production which had been delayed since 2002. Her next release was Siddharth Anand's comedy-drama Salaam Namaste,. The film was another Yash Raj big budget film and went on to become the year's biggest hit overseas. It is the story of two Indians who live together without marriage. Zinta played the female protagonist Ambar, a single modern young woman who leaves India to make her own life in Australia
Zinta received further success in 2006, starring in Karan Johar's drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. The film became one of the biggest box office hits in India and the biggest Bollywood hit in the overseas market ever, which simultaneously became her fourth overseas top earner in four consecutive years. 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. The film was a critical and commercial failure in India. She received mixed reviews from one extreme to the other.
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.
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, the show became Bollywood's most prominent concert internationally. 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.
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 was the financer of the Zinta-starrer Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. In 2000, Shah was arrested for having connections with Chhota Shakeel, a Mumbai underworld boss. 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. 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
In 2003, Zinta was placed number one on Rediff's "Top Bollywood Female Stars. In 2006, Zinta 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. 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.
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