Priety Zinta (Biography)

Preity Zinta was born on 31 January 1975; she is an Indian film actress.

Priety was born into a Hindu Rajput family in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Her father, Durganand Zinta, was an officer in the Indian Army. Her father was died when she was 13 years old in a car accident and her mother was severely injured
and consequently remained bedridden for two years. Zinta called her father's death a significant turning point in her life, which forced her to mature rapidly. She has two brothers a year older and a year younger named Deepankar and Manish. Deepankar is a commissioned officer in the Indian Army, while Manish lives in California.

She studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary boarding school in Shimla District of Himachal Pradesh. As a student, she developed a love for literature, particularly the works of William Shakespeare and poetry. Zinta said she enjoyed schoolwork and received good grades and she played sports, especially basketball in her free time.

After earning a postgraduate degree in criminal psychology, she later took up modelling. Priety’s first television commercial was for Perk chocolates, and she gets a chance of meeting with a director at a friend's birthday party in 1996. The director persuaded Zinta to audition for the spot, and she was selected. Afterwards, she appeared in other catalogues and commercials.

In 1997, Zinta met film-maker Shekhar Kapur when she accompanied a friend to an audition, and was asked if she would audition too. Upon seeing her audition, Shekhar Kapur insisted that she become an actress. She was originally scheduled to make her screen debut in Kapur's Tara Rum Pum Pum, but the filming was cancelled. Shekhar later recommended her for director Mani Ratnam's movie Dil Se.

Zinta commenced shooting for Kundan Shah's movie “Kya Kehna”, whose release was delayed until 2000. The delay of another film, Soldier, meant that her first release was Dil Se in 1998. She was introduced as Preeti Nair, a middle-class Delhi girl. The film was considered an unusual launch for a newcomer, as her role called for only 20 minutes of screen time. Her scene with Shahrukh Khan, in which she asked him, "Are you a virgin? became well-known, and her portrayal earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award nomination. She played her first leading role in the action-drama Soldier in 1998, a commercial hit of the year. She won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for her performance in both movies Soldier and Dil Se.

Priety also acted in two Telugu films, Premante Idera in 1998 and Raja Kumarudu in 1999. She followed with the leading role in the Sangharsh, alongside Akshay Kumar. The film was not a box-office success, although Priety’s performance was appreciated by critics.

Zinta's first role in 2000 was in the drama Kya Kehna, which became a box-office success and her first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards. Zinta acquired ownership rights in 2008 for the Twenty20 cricket team of the Indian Premier League named the team Kings XI Punjab.

Movies

1.      Dil Se (1998)

2.      Soldier (1998)

3.      Premante Idera (1998)

4.      Raja Kumarudu (1999)

5.      Sangharsh (1999)

6.      Dillagi (1999)

7.      Kya Kehna (2000)

8.      Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega (2000)

9.      Mission Kashmir (2000)

10.  Farz (2001)

11.  Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001)

12.  Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

13.  Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke (2001)

14.  Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002)

15.  The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003)

16.  Armaan (2003)

17.  Koi Mil Gaya (2003)

18.  Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)

19.  Lakshya (2004)

20.  Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa (2004)

21.  Veer-Zaara (2004)

22.  Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karen (2005)

23.  Salaam Namaste (2005)

24.  Alag (2006)

25.  Krrish (2006)

26.  Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

27.  Jaan-E-Mann (2006)

28.  Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007)

29.  The Last Lear (2007)

30.  Om Shanti Om (2007-Herself)

31.  Heaven on Earth (2008)

32.  Heroes (2008)

33.  Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)

34.  Main Aurr Mrs Khanna (2009)

35.  Har Pal (2011-Delayed)