Biography: Born in Simla, Himachal Pradesh, she lost her father in a car accident at the young age of 13, which Preity says, forced her to grow up. She has two brothers - one elder and one younger. The elder one, Dipankar, is commissioned in the army whereas the younger one, Manish, is settled in LA. After graduating from high school and earning a degree in Criminal Psychology, from St. Bede’s College in Shimla this dimpled beauty moved onto modeling in 1996 where her talent and spark didn't go unnoticed!
In 1996, she got noticed by Shekhar Kapur at a friend’s birthday party where he asked her to audition for his movie, Ta Ra Rum Pum. Although the movie eventually got shelved, Preity bagged the role of Preeti Nair in Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se. With an unusual debut for a beginner with just 20 minutes of screen time, Preity managed to shine and moved on to movies like Soldier and Kya Kehna where her portrayal of a single parent won her a lot of critical acclaim. The turning point in her career remains, her portrayal of the cynical and bitter, Naina Catherine Kapur in Nikhil Advani’s Kal Ho Na Ho, which won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award in 2003.
With movies like Koi Mil Gaya, which remains her biggest hit till date, and Salaam Namaste Preity Zinta’s name has become one to reckon with, in the industry.From writing for BBC South Asia to winning the Godfrey Philips National Bravery Award for being the only one from the Bharat Shah underworld trial to not retract their statement this diva is truly an icon!
In 1996, she got noticed by Shekhar Kapur at a friend’s birthday party where he asked her to audition for his movie, Ta Ra Rum Pum. Although the movie eventually got shelved, Preity bagged the role of Preeti Nair in Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se. With an unusual debut for a beginner with just 20 minutes of screen time, Preity managed to shine and moved on to movies like Soldier and Kya Kehna where her portrayal of a single parent won her a lot of critical acclaim. The turning point in her career remains, her portrayal of the cynical and bitter, Naina Catherine Kapur in Nikhil Advani’s Kal Ho Na Ho, which won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award in 2003.
With movies like Koi Mil Gaya, which remains her biggest hit till date, and Salaam Namaste Preity Zinta’s name has become one to reckon with, in the industry.From writing for BBC South Asia to winning the Godfrey Philips National Bravery Award for being the only one from the Bharat Shah underworld trial to not retract their statement this diva is truly an icon!
