Date of Birth
31 January 1975, Shimla, IndiaHeight
5' 4" (1.63 m)Mini Biography
Preity Zinta shot to fame as the refreshing, cool, wet model in the Liril commercial. She also modeled for Perk and her dimpled smile won the hearts of millions. Preity never thought she would be an actress. Kapoor saw her in the Liril commercial and liked her so much that he instantly decided that the next film he would announce would have her in the lead. However, 'Tara Rum Pum' never got made and is still pending since the director got very busy with his other projects.
But another offer soon came by, Kundan Shah's Kya Kehna (2000). Though the film was the first, Preity had actually begun shooting for her first release which was Mani Ratnam's Dil Se.. (1998). The film was a hit which won Preity accolades. Later Abbas-Mustan's Soldier (1998/I) that too was a hit at the box-office confirmed she was here to stay. Though Kya Kehna (2000) was her first film, but it released in 2000 and was the surprise hit of 2000.
Her role in Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002) was appreciated and liked by all and that has made her an actress to reckon with in Bollywood. Her screen presence, charm and down to earth nature has made her the favorite actress of almost all the directors and producers. With banners and films like Rakesh Roshan's Koi... Mil Gaya (2003) with 'Hrithik Roshan', Nikhil Advani's Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) starring Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Jaya Bhaduri, Farhan Akhtar's Lakshya (2004) with Hrithik Roshan and Amitabh Bachchan, Atul Agnihotri's Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha (2004) starring Salman Khan and Bhoomika Chawla, Yash Chopra's Veer-Zaara (2004) with Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee, Siddharth Anand's Salaam Namaste (2005) with Saif Ali Khan, and Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) with Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee, Preity has already made her place in the hearts of the public and also in Bollywood.
Trade Mark
Her dimplesTrivia
Model and TV anchorGraduated in Psychology
Turned down the lead in Marigold (2007).
Has won over 4 awards for Kya Kehna (2000) and 7 Awards for Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003).
Critics began to take notice of her after her performance in Kya Kehna (2000).
Won Best Actress at Stardust Awards for Veer-Zaara (2004).
She won the IIFA Style Diva Award (2005).
Is a major fan of the hit TV series "The Simpsons" (1989).
Her father, Durganand Zinta was an officer in the Indian Army. Durganand Zinta died when Preity was thirteen, in a car accident in which her mother, Nilprabha Zinta was also involved. Her mother was bedridden because of this incident.
Has two brothers, Deepanker Zinta and Manish Zinta, a year older and a year younger respectively. One of her brothers is a commissioned officer in the Indian Army.
Has written three columns for BBC South Asia.
She joined a group of top stars (Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra) in the Temptation 2004 concert, which was a huge international success.
She narrowly escaped death twice in late 2004, once after an explosion at a Temptation concert in Colombo, and later in the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Appeared in Manish Malhotra fashion show Freedom (2006).
In May 2006, along with Karan Johar she received an invitation to represent Bollywood at the Cannes Film Festival. They took this opportunity to promote the film Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006).
When not shooting she used to return to her home town Shimla. She recently moved into her own home in Mumbai, which she bought in mid-2005.
Her favorite perfume is Envy by Gucci.
Her good friends in the industry include Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Bobby Deol, Aishwarya Rai and Saif Ali Khan.
Very close friends with actor Hrithik Roshan and his wife 'Suzanne Khan'.
Listed #41 by UK magazine Eastern Eye one of "Asia's Sexiest Women" (Sept/ 2006).
Personal Quotes
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.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...
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.
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.
I am proud to be part of today's Bollywood. I love dancing and lip synching to our songs.
To act, you must know pain. You must know what it means to be in love, what it means to be rejected.
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.
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.
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."
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!"
Love is always real and true love is even more real!
Salary
| Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001) | INR 2,500,000 |
