[برتي]

انا ماخذته من الموقع ومترجمته في لمسبار
(29) (36)
Birthday - 31st Jan
Address: C/10A, Ranwar, Waroda Road,
Off Hill road, Bandra West,
Mumbai-50.

It all happened accidentally! Preity Zinta all of twelve years of age had gone to a shoot of an ad directed by a family friend. But as fate would have it the model supposed to do the ad fell ill on the D-day and the director, with his palms placed on his forehead, didn't know what to do! He would've nearly given up shooting that particular ad had not his eyes set on his good friend. She had come as an observer but landed up becoming the model instead!

Studying in a boarding school at Simla, Preity hadn't even dreamt of being an actress. "My goals in life kept changing just like any other teenager. If I saw a pilot with an impressive personality, I would want to be that. If I read about an astronaut, then I would want to be one. I always wanted to do what I saw others doing. I didn't have a mind of my own then. The only time I firmly decided to do something was when I stepped into college. Having taken up arts, psychology was my favourite subject and I thought of being a psychologist... or businesswoman..." she says.

She had also enrolled herself in Bombay University to study Criminal Psychology. But destiny had something else in store for her. Director Shekhar Kapur, when at a friend's place, chanced upon the Liril ad. Clad in a flower printed T-shirt and blue shorts and prancing under the waterfall was Preity. Her innocent face and dimpled laughter had bewitched the director. He instantly decided that the next film he would announce would have her in the lead.

Tara Rum Pum was a break every newcomer dreamt of! Preity had even begun her dance rehearsals for the film. But there are many a slip between the cup n' the lip and the film never got made.

But another offer soon came by, Kundan Shah's Kya Kehna (earlier titled Friends). Depicting the story a young girl, Priya, who gets ditched by her lover when she gets pregnant, the film appealed to the masses, especially the fairer sex. Priya was one character they could identify with. So did the Zinta girl! Said she, "If I didn't identify with her I would not have done the role. I hope Priya has taught young girls not to make mistakes she made and the same time inspired them to voice their opinion and given them to courage to standby their decisions."

Though the film released quite late, it pushed Preity in the forefront. More so because the film had no top stars to boast off! Lead actors Saif Ali Khan and Chandrachur Singh weren't hot at the box-office. And the director Kundan Shan too had not churned out a hit since long. Kya Kehna was the surprise hit of 2000.

Though the film was the first Preity had actually begun shooting for, her first release was Mani Ratnam's Dil Se! Playing a young bubbly Malayalee, engaged to a radio jockey Shahrukh, Preity had impressed the critics with her performance. "But I would never marry a man who loved someone else even if I was engaged to him," she laughs. "I would be causing problems for him and myself and that would not be fair on us." And Abbas-Mustan's Soldier that was a hit at the box-office confirmed she was here to stay.

What further redeemed that fact was Tanuja Chandra's Sangharsh. Reet, the character she played in the film, a woman of strong convictions, gave Preity an opportunity to explore new avenues to her personality. Elaborating on the character Preity had said, "Reet hailed from a different background. She was far too mature which girls usually aren't at that age. That could because the film shows that a lot of things had gone wrong for her very early in life. The only similarity between Reet and me, we are both sincere and confident."

Followed Kundan Shah's Kya Kehna and the rest is history. The simple girl from Simla has certainly come a long way! ! Now with Shalini of Dil Chahta Hai and Shalu of Dil Hai Tumhara, Preity has made sure she gets the meatiest roles of all and she manages to pack in a punch. Her care a damn and going selective has made her one of the hottest heroines in the film industry. "After Dil Chahta Hai guys find me hot, earlier they found me cute." she was heard saying.

With banners and films like Rakesh Roshan’s Koi Mil Gaya with Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akthar’s Lakshya with Hrithik Roshan and Amitabh Bachchan and Honey Irani’s Armaan with Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor... Preity has come a long way and already made a place of her own.