One of a kind: Preity Zinta

Preity Zinta was last seen in Deepa Mehta’s Heaven on Earth. While the film was not accepted by the audience, the actress’s work received appreciated. And two years since then the actress has finally given her nod to do another film. She says the break was deliberate as she wanted to concentrate on business – her IPL team. But now she believes that it can sustain on her own and she can get back to her first love and primary profession– acting.

Why would you make such a spontaneous decision to take a sabbatical from Bollywood for so long, right at the top of your career?

Yes my decision to jump into cricket at the peak of my career and staying out of films for so long was rather spontaneous. That’s how I got into films too. I remember Shekhar Kapur lecturing on what it is like to be an actress and a star.

Preity Zinta

You have been known to be different as an actress as well as a person. In fact we hear you were quite a tom boy earlier.

I think I am the only heroine who has a fracture or a cut or a bruise or a tape on all her pictures from childhood. I don’t want to show those photographs to anyone but they had once been shown on a show called Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai where my friends betrayed me and gave away all information!

And how would you injure yourself?

Beating up boys! The age difference between me and my elder brother and me and my younger brother is one and half years. Till the age 12-13 a girl is like a boy only, especially if she grows up with boys!

Beating up boys sounds interesting. Ever beaten anyone after growing up?

Oh Yes I have! In Delhi I have! I have done it once in Mumbai too. But then you should also know how to run when you hit someone. Don’t wait there and be a

commando!

Any good memories from your time spent with the guy gang, apart from beating them up?

You know, I learnt to be say things right on a person’s face from guys. I sort out things there and then and forget about it, unlike other women who keep silent and keep it inside them!

Getting back to the present, you look fit again. Last year you had put on a lot.

Yes I have been working on myself since I decided to get back to entertainment. When you are acting and in front of the camera and you know you have to wear a short skirt or your midriff is showing you don’t want to be looking bad. But in cricket it was all about wearing jeans a t-shirt. I had put on seven kilos!

So now back to films?

Yes there are some interesting offers. The producers will talk about them soon

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