Kya Kehna (Hindi: क्या कहना; English: What to Say) is 2000 Bollywood film starring Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Chandrachur Singh, Anupam Kher and Farida Jalal. It was directed by Kundan Shah and premiered on 19 May 2000.

The film was a surprise hit^[1] and established Zinta's career as an actress. The film dealt with the taboo issue of pre-marital pregnancy and the views of society.

Plot[link]

The story is about Priya Bakshi (Preity Zinta), the daughter of Gulshan (Anupam Kher) and Rohini Bakshi (Farida Jalal). Priya has her parents, brothers and best friend, Ajay (Chandrachur Singh) who all love and support her. She enters her first year in college and catches the eye of Rahul (Saif Ali Khan) who quickly becomes attracted to her. She succumbs to his charm but her brothers and parents are not sure about Rahul. His womanizing nature worries them and they tell her to stay away from him. However, Priya is unable to leave Rahul. She convinces her parents to meet him but when they talk about marriage, he backs off and leaves Priya.

Priya is devastated but moves on with her life. She learns that she is pregnant with Rahul's child. Her parents go to Rahul to talk about marriage but to their shock he refuses to marry her. Priya is faced with a decision, and she chooses to keep the child. Her decision prompts her father to kick her out the house. Alone and neglected, Priya is devastated, but her parents and brothers find it hard to live without her and they bring her home. She now has to face society and try to overcome the disdain of her neighbors, among others. Society virtually ostracizes her and her family. She eventually gains the support of those who had earlier disrespected her. At the same time she manages to change Rahul's views as well and he decides to marry her. However, Priya has already given her heart to Ajay and they get married, soon after she gives birth to a girl.

Cast[link]

• Preity Zinta as Priya Bakshi
• Saif Ali Khan as Rahul Modi
• Chandrachur Singh as Ajay
• Anupam Kher as Gulshan Bakshi
• Farida Jalal as Rohini Bakshi
• Puneet Vashist as Priya's brother
• Nivedita Bhattacharya as Priya's Sister-In-Law

Music[link]

The soundtrack of the film contains 8 songs. The music is conducted by the award-winning composer Rajesh Roshan, with lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

Reception[link]

Vinayak Chakravorty of Hindustan Times gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing, "The basic premise of Kya Kehna!, then, definitely had the potential of being a gripping family entertainer. Unfortunately, somewhere down the line you feel as if most people associated with the film somehow lost interest." He noted, however, Preity Zinta as "the bright spot of the film".^[2] Aradhika Sekhon of The Tribune wrote, "The movie itself has several flaws but the issues that it tackles are real. The director takes a straight, hard look at the problems of today and holds them up for exhibition. The Indian tendency is to sweep uncomfortable issues under the carpet but if films like Kya Kehna continue to be made, at least, we'll be forced to confront them."^[3] Mimmy Jain of The Indian Express, in a positive review, commeded Shah for making "a sensitive film, on a sensitive subject", calling Kya Kehna "a film that should have been made years ago". She further noted Zinta as being "dazzlingly good" in her part.^[4]

Sharmila Taliculam from Rediff.com was critical of the film, concluding, "Apart from the climax, the film is no big deal."^[5]

Awards[link]

• Filmfare Best Story Award - Honey Irani
• IIFA Award for Technical Excellence - Best Screenplay - Farhan Akhtar
• Sansui Best Actress Award - Preity Zinta

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kya Kehna at the Internet Movie Database

Kumar Sanu (alias Kedarnath Bhattacharya, born in Kolkata) is a leading Indian Bollywood playback singer.^[1] He was awarded the Filmfare Best Male Playback Award over five consecutive years. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2009.^[2]

Early life[link]

Kumar Sanu's father Pashupati Bhattacharya was a vocalist and composer. He trained Sanu as a singer and tabla player. After getting a degree in commerce from Calcutta University, Sanu began performing publicly in 1979, singing at shows and restaurants around Calcutta. He modeled his singing style after Bollywood singer Kishore Kumar.^[3] Later he developed his own singing style.^[3]

Career[link]

In 1987, music director and singer Jagjit Singh offered Sanu the chance to sing in the Hindi film Aandhiyan. Sanu then relocated to Mumbai, where Kalyanji-Anandji gave him chance to sing in the film Jaadugar. Kalyanji-Anandji suggested that he change his name from Kedar Nath Bhattacharya to Kumar Sanu.^[3]

Sanu started off singing Jagjit Singh's film songs, and went on to work with composers including Naushad, Ravindra Jain, Hridayanath Mangeshkar, Pt.R K Razdan, Kalyanji Anandji, and Usha Khanna.

For the 1990 film Aashiqui, music directors Nadeem-Shravan got Sanu to sing all but one of the songs which included "Ek Sanam Chahiye", "Tu meri zindagi hain", "Nazar Ke Saamne", "Jaane Jigar Jaaneman", "Ab Tere Bin Jee Lenge Hum" and "Dheere Dheere Se". He won the first of his record five consecutive Filmfare awards as Best Male Playback Singer. His next Filmfare Awards came for songs in the movies Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992), Baazigar (1993), and 1942: A Love Story (1994).

Sanu often collaborated with Nadeem-Shravan. Some of their collaborations include songs in movies like Aashiqi (1990), Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (1991), Sadak (1991), Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992), Dil Ka Kya Kasoor (1992), Kal Ki Awaz (1992), Shreeman Aashique (1993), Salami (1993), Damini: Lightning (1993), Dilwale (1994), Agni Sakshi (1996), Raja Hindustani (1996), Jeet (1996), Pardes (1997), among others.

In a career spanning two decades he has sung with composers including R.D. Burman, Anand-Milind, Anu Malik, Jatin-Lalit, Nadeem-Shravan, Himesh Reshammiya, Ismail Darbar, Kalyanji Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Rajesh Roshan, Sajid-Wajid, Viju Shah, Uttam Singh for Dushman, Raam Laxman, Dilip Sen-Sameer Sen, Anand Raj Anand, Aadesh Shrivastava, Vishal-Shekhar, M. M. Keeravani & Vishal Bharadwaj.

He has also created music for Indian films and also produced the Bollywood film, Utthaan. Currently Kumar Sanu team up with Rakesh Bhhatia and together they produced Hindi feature film based on the four street children of Mumbai. All four children are doing shoe- polish on railway platform in order to earn their daily bread and butter. Mithun Chakraborty is acting in his movie as a lead role. Recently Kumar Sanu has sang for epic Bengali film Hason Raja, which directed by UK-based filmmaker Ruhul Amin.

Sanu was in the panel of judges on Sony TV for Waar Parriwar, a reality show based on the bringing together of a singing gharana (family of singers) and on Zee Bangla TV in a music reality show called Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Vishwa Sera.

Awards[link]

• 2009: Padma Shri: India's 4th highest civilian honour given by Government of India.

Filmfare Awards[link]

Won[link]

Nominated[link]

Star Screen Award[link]

Notable Bollywood Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Kumar Sanu at the Internet Movie Database

Alka Yagnik
Background information
Born	(1966-03-20) 20 March 1966 (age 46) Kolkata, West Bengal
Genres	Bollywood and regional filmi playback singing
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1979–present

Alka Yagnik (born March 20, 1966^[1] in Kolkata, West Bengal, India) is an Indian singer.^[2] Among the best-known playback singers of Hindi cinema, she is a record seven-time winner of the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer from a record of 35 nominations, a two-time recipient of the National Film Award as well as several other music awards listed below. Further, as many as 20 of her tracks feature in BBC's "Top 40 Bollywood Soundtracks of all time" review.^[3]

Early life and background[link]

Alka Yagnik was born in Kolkata on March 20, 1966. Her mother Shubha Yagnik was a singer of Indian classical music. She received her school education from Modern High School for Girls. At the age of 6, she started singing for Akashvani (All India Radio), Calcutta.^[4] At age 10, her mother brought her to Bombay as a child singer. She was advised to wait until her voice matured, but her mother remained determined. On a subsequent visit, Alka got a letter of introduction to Raj Kapoor from his Kolkata distributor. Kapoor heard the girl and sent her with a letter to noted music director Laxmikant. Impressed, Laxmikant gave her two alternatives — an immediate start as a dubbing artist or a later break as a singer; they settled for the latter.

Career[link]

Alka Yagnik is classically trained and has been one of the leading playback singers in Bollywood since the late 1980s. She began singing bhajans for Akashvani (All India Radio), Calcutta.^[4] at the age of six. Her first song was for the film Payal Ki Jhankaar in (1979), followed by Laawaris (1981) with the hit song "Mere Angene Mein", followed by the film Hamari Bahu Alka (1982). She got her big break with the song "Ek Do Teen" from the film Tezaab (1988). The song turned her into a star overnight and went on to become a pop hit, also winning her a Filmfare Best Female Playback Award. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak was also a career maker for her, as she along with Udit Narayan became household names.

She has sung in many languages other than Hindi, including Gujarati, Oriya, Assamese, Manipuri, Nepali, Rajasthani, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam. She has worked with Indian composers such as Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Rajesh Roshan, Nadeem-Shravan, Jatin Lalit, Anu Malik, A. R. Rahman, Anand-Milind, Himesh Reshammiya, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, Ismail Darbar, Aadesh Shrivastava, Viju Shah, M.M. Keeravani, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and many others.

She has also sung in many notable albums such as "Tum Yaad Aaye", as well as "Tum Aaye" and "Shairana" in which she worked in close collaboration with award-winning lyricist Javed Akhtar and noted singer Hariharan. She has also rendered the Hanuman Chalisa and various devotional songs.^[5]

She has lent her voice for three generation of actresses ranging from Hema Malini, Rekha, Shabana Azmi, Rakhi Gulzar, Sridevi to Madhuri Dixit, Raveena Tandon, Manisha Koirala, Juhi Chawla, Kajol, Tabu, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta, Karisma Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai to Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Sushmita Sen, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif and many others.^[6]

Alka shares the title with Asha Bhosle for the greatest number of Filmfare Awards won (7) by a single female playback singer. Alka has also been the judge of various Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge shows, and Star Voice of India, both singing competition shows, in which children or adults of various age groups compete with one another to win the award for best vocals. In addition to this, her song "Chamma Chamma" from China Gate was featured in the song "Hindi Sad Diamonds" from the soundtrack of the film Moulin Rouge!. She has also been performing in live concerts around the world .

In 2012 she along with Sonu Nigam sang a song 'Shiksha Ka Suraj' as part of National Literacy Mission of India. ^[7] She has also been involved in various projects pertaining to empowerment of the girl child . ^[8]

Significant collaborations[link]

Laxmikant-Pyarelal

Veteran composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal who were instrumental in launching Alka have created several musical hits with her in movies such as Tezaab, Hum (film), Khalnayak, Khuda Gawah and many others.

Nadeem-Shravan

Alka Yagnik's collaboration with Nadeem-Shravan in movies such as Saajan (1991),Phool Aur Kaante (1991), Deewana (1992), Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993), Dilwale (1994), Raja (1995), Barsaat (1995), Agni Sakshi (1996), Jeet (1996), Raja Hindustani (1996), Pardes (1997), Sirf Tum (1999), Dhadkan (2000), Kasoor (2001), Raaz (2002), Andaaz (2003), Dil Hai Tumhaara (2003), etc. has created several chartbuster hits over the years.

Jatin Lalit

Alka Yagnik has often collaborated with Jatin Lalit in movies such as Khiladi, Ghulam, Khamoshi: The Musical, Sarfarosh, Yes Boss, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Chalte Chalte, Hum Tum creating hugely popular scores.

Anu Malik

Alka's collaborations with Anu Malik over the years in films such as Baazigar, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee, Imtihaan, Refugee, Vijaypath, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Akele Hum Akele Tum, Duplicate, Soldier, Aarzoo, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Asoka, Umrao Jaan, Fiza, Josh, Ishq Vishk, LOC: Kargil, etc. have all been immensely successful.

A. R. Rahman

Alka's collaborations with A. R. Rahman in movies such as Taal, Lagaan, Zubeidaa, Swades, Yuvvraaj, Ada... A Way of Life, Slumdog Millionaire are all critically acclaimed.

Rajesh Roshan

Alka's work with Rajesh Roshan in films such as Karan Arjun, Sabse Bada Khiladi, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000), Koi Mil Gaya (2003), Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage, Koyla, Krrish has been immensely popular.

Anand-Milind

Alka has worked in several films with Anand-Milind notably Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Anjaam, Suhaag, Coolie No. 1 (Hindi film), Loafer, Jaan, Hero No. 1, Mrityudand & Jaanwar.

Himesh Reshammiya

Alka gave Himesh Reshammiya his first break in the movie Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya . Thereafter the duo has worked together creating poplar scores in several movies such as Hello Brother, Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye, Humraaz, Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne, Tere Naam, Bardaasht, Aitraaz, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, Kyon Ki, Banaras, 36 China Town, Milenge Milenge, etc.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Alka's collaboration with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in films such as Dil Chahta Hai, Mission Kashmir, Armaan (2003 film), Kal Ho Naa Ho, Lakshya (film) & Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna has been immensely successful.

Awards and nominations[link]

Alka Yagnik has won several prestigious music awards for best female playback such as Filmfare Awards, National Awards, IIFA Awards, Star Screen Awards,Zee Cine Awards, etc. She also holds the record for most awards won (7) as well as maximum nominations (35) in Best Female Playback category at the Filmfare Awards.^[9]

Notable Bollywood filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Alka Yagnik at the Internet Movie Database

Preity Zinta
Zinta at the International Film Festival of Marrakech (2011).
Born	(1975-01-31) 31 January 1975 (age 37) Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
Occupation	Film actress
Years active	1998–present
Partner	Ness Wadia (2005–09)

Preity Zinta (pronounced [ˈpriːt̪i ˈzɪɳʈaː]; born 31 January 1975)^[1] is an Indian film actress. She has appeared in Hindi films of Bollywood, as well as Telugu, Punjabi and English language films. After graduating with a degree in criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se.. in 1998 followed by a role in Soldier the same year. These performances earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, and she was later recognised for her role as a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna (2000). She subsequently played a variety of character types; her film roles along with her screen persona contributed to a change in the concept of a Hindi film heroine.^[2]

Zinta received a Filmfare Award for Best Actress in 2003 for her performance in the drama Kal Ho Naa Ho. She went on to play the lead female role in two consecutive annual top-grossing films in India: the science fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), her biggest commercial success,^[3] and the star-crossed romance Veer-Zaara (2004), which earned her critical acclaim. She was later noted for her portrayal of independent, modern Indian women in Salaam Namaste (2005) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), top-grossing productions in overseas markets.^[4] These accomplishments have established her as a leading actress of Hindi cinema.^[5][6] Her first international film role was in the Canadian film Heaven on Earth, for which she was awarded the Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress at the 2008 Chicago International Film Festival.^[7]

In addition to movie acting, Zinta has written a series of columns for BBC News Online South Asia, is a social activist, a television presenter, and a regular stage performer. She is the founder of the production company PZNZ Media and, along with ex-boyfriend Ness Wadia, a co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kings XI Punjab. She is known in the Indian media for publicly speaking her mind and openly expressing her opinions, and consequently has sparked the occasional controversy.^[8][9] These controversies include her being the only witness not to retract in court her earlier statements against the Indian mafia during the 2003 Bharat Shah case, for which she was awarded the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Award.

Early life and background[link]

Zinta was born into a family from Rohru in Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh.^[1] Her father, Durganand Zinta, was an officer in the Indian Army.^[10] He died in a car accident when she was 13 years old; the accident also involved her mother, Nilprabha, who was severely injured and consequently remained bedridden for two years. Zinta called the tragic accident and her father's death a significant turning point in her life, which forced her to mature rapidly.^[11] She has two brothers; Deepankar and Manish, a year older and a year younger respectively. Deepankar is a commissioned officer in the Indian Army, while Manish lives in California.^[12]

Zinta, who describes herself as a tomboy as a child, has emphasised her father's military background as having a lasting impression on how family life was conducted. He asserted the importance of discipline and punctuality to the children.^[13] She studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary boarding school in Shimla. Although she confesses to loneliness in the boarding school, she noted that it was compensated by her finding a "... perfect set of friends" there.^[10][14] As a student, she developed a love for literature, particularly the works of William Shakespeare and poetry.^[10] According to Zinta, she enjoyed schoolwork and received good grades; in her free time she played sports, especially basketball.^[11]

Upon graduating from the boarding school at age 18, Zinta enrolled at St Bede's College in Shimla. She graduated college with an English honours degree, and then started a graduate programme in psychology.^[15] She earned a postgraduate degree in criminal psychology, but later took up modelling.^[10] Zinta's first television commercial was for Perk chocolates, the result of a chance meeting with a director at a friend's birthday party in 1996.^[10] The director persuaded Zinta to audition for the spot, and she was selected. Afterwards, she appeared in other catalogues and commercials, including one for the soap Liril.^[11][15]

Acting career[link]

Early work (1997–99)[link]

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, Kapur insisted that she become an actress. She was originally scheduled to make her screen debut in Kapur's Tara Rum Pum Pum opposite Hrithik Roshan, but the filming was cancelled. Kapur later recommended her for director Mani Ratnam's movie Dil Se...^[15][16] Zinta often recalls that when she joined the film industry, her friends teased her that she would typically "wear white saris and dance in the rain", thereby motivating her to play different parts.^[10][16]

Zinta commenced shooting for Kundan Shah's Kya Kehna, whose release was delayed until 2000.^[17] The delay of another film, Soldier, meant that her first release was Dil Se.. (1998) opposite Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala.^[16] She was introduced as Preeti Nair, a middle-class Delhi girl and Khan's fiancée. The film was considered an unusual launch for a newcomer, as her role called for only 20 minutes of screen time.^[17] However, she was eventually noticed for her role, particularly for the forthright character she played.^[11] Her scene with Khan, in which she asked him, "Are you a virgin?", became well-known, and her portrayal earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.^[17] She played her first leading role in the action-drama Soldier (1998), a commercial hit of the year.^[18] She won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for her performance in both Dil Se.. and Soldier.

Zinta next acted in two Telugu films, Premante Idera (1998), opposite Venkatesh; and Raja Kumarudu (1999), opposite Mahesh Babu. She followed with the leading role in the thriller Sangharsh, alongside Akshay Kumar. The film, based on The Silence of the Lambs (1991),^[19] was directed by Tanuja Chandra and written by Mahesh Bhatt. Zinta portrayed the character of Reet Oberoi, a CBI officer who falls in love with a captured killer played by Kumar. The film was not a box-office success, although Zinta's performance was appreciated by critics.^[11]

Breakthrough (2000–02)[link]

Zinta's first role in 2000 was in the drama Kya Kehna, which unexpectedly became a box-office success.^[20] The film addressed themes of single parenthood and teenage pregnancy, and gained Zinta wider recognition from the public as well as film critics.^[11][17] Her portrayal of Priya Bakshi, a teenage single mother who fights social prejudice, earned her several award nominations, including her first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards. India Today reported that Zinta belonged to a new breed of Hindi film actors that breaks away from character stereotypes.^[17]

Later that year, Zinta starred in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's drama Mission Kashmir alongside Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik Roshan. Set in the valley of Kashmir during the Indo-Pakistani conflicts, the film dealt with the topic of terrorism and crime. Zinta's role was that of Sufiya Parvez, a TV reporter and Roshan's childhood love. A review in The Hindu said about her performance, "Preity Zinta is her usual cherubic self and lends colour to the otherwise serious proceedings".^[21] It was an economic success, becoming the third-highest grossing film of the year in India.^[22]

In 2001, Zinta earned positive reviews for her role in Farhan Akhtar's National Film Award-winning Dil Chahta Hai. Depicting the contemporary routine life of Indian affluent youth, it is set in modern-day urban Mumbai and focuses on a major period of transition in the lives of three young friends (Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna).^[23] Zinta starred as Aamir Khan's love interest, Shalini. Dil Chahta Hai was popular with critics, some of whom noted it broke new ground by introducing a realistic portrayal of Indian youth. The film was a moderate box-office success in India; it performed well in the big cities but failed in the rural areas, which was attributed by critics to the urban-oriented lifestyle it presented.^[24][25] Rediff.com wrote of Zinta that she "... is beautiful and vibrant, wavering between endearingly naive and confused".^[26]

Three more 2001 releases featured Zinta, including Abbas-Mustan's romantic drama Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, which was released after a one-year delay due to the trial of producer Bharat Shah. This film was one of the first Bollywood movies to address the controversial issue of surrogate childbirth.^[27] Zinta essayed the role of Madhubala, a golden-hearted prostitute hired as a surrogate mother. Initially reluctant to play the part, she eventually accepted it at the directors' persuasion and, to prepare for it, visited several bars and nightclubs at Mumbai's red-light areas to study the lingo and mannerisms of sex-workers.^[28] She received a second Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Filmfare Awards for her performance, of which reviewer Sukanya Verma wrote, "Preity Zinta, who clearly has the meatiest part of all, makes the best of it. Her transformation from the cocky and unabashed prostitute to a sensitive and warm person is amazingly believable."^[29]

In 2002, Zinta collaborated once again with director Kundan Shah, as the protagonist in the family drama Dil Hai Tumhaara, alongside Rekha, Mahima Chaudhry and Arjun Rampal. Although the film did not succeed at the box office, her portrayal of Shalu, an adopted daughter craving love, was critically acclaimed. Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama noted, "... Preity Zinta, in an author-backed role ... steals the show with a sterling performance. Her scenes with Rekha (second half) and Alok Nath (pre-climax) are simply outstanding. Here's a performance that is sure to win accolades from the junta and critics whole-heartedly."^[30]

Success (2003–07)[link]

Zinta was the female lead in India's three highest-grossing films of 2003: The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, Koi... Mil Gaya and Kal Ho Naa Ho.^[31] The Hero, co-starring Sunny Deol and Priyanka Chopra, is a patriotic drama about a spy network involving terrorists and an Indian army officer. Zinta played the part of Reshma, a villager who falls in love with the officer and becomes part of this network. The film, involving stunts never seen before in the cinematic history of Bollywood, became the most expensive Hindi film ever produced at the time.^[32][33] Despite being the third highest-grossing film of that year, it failed to recover its production costs at the box office.^[31][34] She next starred in Honey Irani's directorial debut, Armaan, alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. This drama is set in a hospital and follows the travails of its personnel and its principal, Dr. Akash, who struggles arduously to sustain the institution financially. Zinta played Akash's schizophrenic wife Sonia Kapoor, a role written specially for her and which she liked because it let her "give vent to all [her] frustrations".^[35] The film received predominantly positive reviews, and Zinta was particularly praised.^[36] Khalid Mohamed called her a "peppy scene-stealer, achieving her manic mood swings dexterously."^[37] For her performance, she received nominations for Best Performance in a Negative Role at different award ceremonies, including Filmfare.

Rakesh Roshan's science-fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya, about a developmentally disabled young man, followed. Co-starring with Rekha and Hrithik Roshan, Zinta played the role of Nisha, a young woman whom Roshan befriends. She received another Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare for the role. The movie was a financial and critical success and became the most popular film of the year, as well as Zinta's highest-grossing movie, with a domestic total of Rs 425 million;^[31] it won the Filmfare Award for Best Movie, among others.

Zinta's final release of 2003 was Kal Ho Naa Ho, a drama set in New York City. It was directed by Nikhil Advani and written by Karan Johar, co-starring Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan. The film was received favourably by critics and became India's second-biggest hit of the year after Koi... Mil Gaya. It also did well internationally and became India's top-grossing film of the year overseas, earning over Rs 750 million worldwide.^[38][39] Zinta played the role of Naina Catherine Kapur, an insecure and angry young Indian-American woman who falls in love with a man who has a fatal heart disease. She won several awards for her performance, including the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Derek Elley of Variety wrote, "Zinta, who's been carving a growing following the past three years or so, has never been better, definitively moving from juve roles to a charismatic young woman with her sexy, assured Naina."^[40]

In 2004 she starred as TV journalist Romila Dutta in Farhan Akhtar's war drama Lakshya, alongside Hrithik Roshan. The film was based on the historical events of the 1999 Kargil Conflict; Zinta's character was modelled after TV journalist Barkha Dutt, the only female reporter assigned to the story. The film was a critical success, yet her performance received mixed reviews; Namarata Joshi of Outlook likened her to "a teenybopper trying to do a TV newsreading skit for her college fest" and Rediff.com concluded, "Zinta has quite a good role and a good deal of footage in the film, and she does a fairly decent job of it without ever being spectacular."^[41][42] Later that year, Yash Chopra cast her opposite Shahrukh Khan as the female lead in the love saga Veer-Zaara, the top-grossing Hindi film of that year in both India and abroad, with revenues of over Rs 900 million worldwide.^[38] The film, which relates the love story of an Indian officer, Veer Pratap Singh, and a Pakistani woman, Zaara Haayat Khan, had a strong international release, including a screening at the Berlin Film Festival, and won several Best Movie awards at major Indian award functions.^[43] For her portrayal of Zaara, a role which required her to master the fine nuances of Urdu language, Zinta received her fourth Filmfare Best Actress nomination.^[15] Variety hailed her as "the most interesting young actress of her generation," writing that she "is her usual lively self as the willful Zaara."^[44] Veer-Zaara was Zinta's second highest-grossing film and third major success in two consecutive years. It marked the beginning of her work with Yash Raj Films, one of the largest production houses in Bollywood.^[45]

In 2005, Zinta appeared in two movies. Her first release was the folk comedy Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karen, co-starring Govinda, a production that had been delayed since 2002. The film garnered negative reviews and poor box office returns. Zinta's role was small, and was not well received.^[46] She next starred opposite Saif Ali Khan in Siddharth Anand's comedy-drama Salaam Namaste. Produced by Yash Raj Films, it was the first Indian feature to be filmed entirely in Australia and went on to become the year's highest-grossing Bollywood production outside of India, earning Rs 570 million internationally.^[38] The film tells the story of a contemporary cohabiting Indian couple and their subsequent struggle with an unexpected pregnancy. Zinta played the female protagonist Ambar Malhotra, a single modern young woman who leaves India to make her own life in Melbourne. Salaam Namaste received mostly positive reviews, and Zinta's performance earned her nominations for Best Actress at a number of award ceremonies. Taran Adarsh referred to her as "terrific" and argued that she gave "her most accomplished performance to date".^[47] The New York Times noted, "She is cheerleader-homecoming queen-fraternity sweetheart pretty, so even when her characters are being unkind it's hard not to like her."^[48]

Zinta at the Jaan-E-Mann and UFO tie-up party (2006).

Zinta received further success in 2006, starring in Karan Johar's drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna with an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Kirron Kher. The film became one of the biggest box-office hits in India, earning Rs 458 million, and grossed over Rs 480 million abroad, the biggest Bollywood success of all-time in the overseas market up until then. It was her fourth overseas top-earner in four consecutive years.^[4] The film tells the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, and an ensuing extramarital affair. Zinta played the role of Rhea Saran, an ambitious fashion magazine editor. She described the role as an attempt to shed her vivacious public image.^[49] The Indian Express concurred that this was successful: "The lady has not just looked glamorous but she has walked with poise, sat with grace, smiled with composure and spoke with calmness. Who would have thought that the bubbly girl could so skilfully shed her age-old tag and walk away as the don't-mess-with-me lass. So all those who are in search of the peppy Preity, well guys you've dialed the wrong number this time."^[50]

She then starred in Shirish Kunder's romantic musical Jaan-E-Mann, a story set in the United States about two men, played by Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, who love the same woman. The film opened to mixed reviews from critics and its eventual box-office profit was poor.^[51] Zinta played the role of Piya, the cynosure of two men. She was mostly criticised for taking a role of minimal importance, though her performance was generally well-received.^[52] Raja Sen labelled her role an "ornament throughout," but further stated that she "comes vividly alive in the film's last scene, a moment that makes you lament why filmmakers today don't let the babyfaced actress have more fun instead of forcing her to sob copiously. She doesn't have much to do in Jaan-E-Mann, but looks appropriately attractive."^[53] Zinta said that the film was a great relief after the more emotionally intense Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, as Jaan-E-Mann was "easy, happy and much more simple".^[54]

In 2007 Zinta portrayed a British Pakistani woman, Alvira Khan, in her third project with Yash Raj Films, Shaad Ali's comedy Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, alongside Abhishek Bachchan, Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta. The film was a critical and commercial failure in India.^[55][56] Several critics panned her performance; The Times of India described her as "too plastic" and Rediff.com concluded, "From accent to emotion, Preity is plain and simple insufferable in this film."^[57][58]

New career prospects (2007–present)[link]

In 2007, following the failure of two of her commercial releases, Zinta began working with art film directors, and turned towards neo-realistic movies, known in India as parallel cinema.^[59] She acted in her first English film, Rituparno Ghosh's The Last Lear, as a struggling film actress opposite Amitabh Bachchan. The film premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival, and was received well. Later reviews in India were approving, with Rajeev Masand writing, "Preity Zinta gets through her scenes competently, never allowing her cute-as-a-button image to take away from the impact she makes here as a conflicted, mature woman."^[60] Zinta said about her first art film, "I did think with art films that they don't pay you, they don't feed you, but I was wrong, and I'm so happy to be here."^[61]

Zinta next starred in Samir Karnik's Heroes (2008), a road movie about two final-year film students who, as a part of their assignment, travel a thousand miles across North India to deliver three un-posted letters written by army personnel who lost their lives during the 1999 Kargil war to their families. The story unfolds the journey of these students in three chapters and follows how they meet and are inspired by the families of the soldiers. Zinta is featured in the first chapter as Salman Khan's war widow, Kuljeet Kaur, a woman who becomes the sole breadwinner of the family and single-handedly raises her son. In preparation for the role, Zinta attended Anupam Kher's acting school, "Actor Prepares", to learn the dialect and mannerisms of a Punjabi woman.^[62] The film was released to a mixed critical reaction, but her performance received rave reviews; Anand Singh of Hindustan Times wrote, "Karnik is merely interested in wringing tears the old-fashioned way, and not in starting a debate. He succeeds—mainly because Preity Zinta brings to a role a gravitas and dignity that is seen on the faces of ordinary women—this may be her coming of age as an actress."^[63]

By April 2008, Zinta had completed shooting for Jahnu Barua's drama Har Pal. In the same year she played the leading role of Chand in Deepa Mehta's Canadian film Heaven on Earth, a Punjabi language mystical drama based on the true story of a young Indian woman who, post an arranged marriage to a non-resident Indian man from Canada, migrates to Toronto and becomes a victim of severe domestic abuse. Expressing her desire for "a new kind of acting challenge", Zinta described Mehta as one director she was longing to work with in order to fulfill it.^[59] To prepare for the part, she read and watched several books and documentaries on domestic violence. As the film was to be shot entirely in Punjabi, a language that was totally alien to her, she learnt it in a crash course of fifty days.^[64] She was emotional during the making of the film: "I never knew a character would effect me so deeply. I've become completely withdrawn and introspective... I can't snap out of the character."^[65] She eventually called it her most challenging project, as it helped her "shed everything that Preity Zinta was about."^[66] Heaven on Earth was first screened at several film festivals and, upon release, garnered career-best reviews for Zinta. Her performance earned her the Best Actress (Silver Hugo) award at the 2008 Chicago International Film Festival, for "her strong yet subtle performance as a woman struggling to keep her dreams despite brutal realities."^[7] Among other awards, she was acknowledged with Best Actress nominations at several award functions in Canada, including the Genie Award by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, and the Vancouver Film Critics Circle.^[67]

Following Heaven On Earth, Zinta took a two-year sabbatical from movies, later explaining that she had chosen to focus on her work with her cricket team.^[68] In 2011 she launched her own production company, PZNZ Media. She is set to star in the first film produced under the banner, Ishkq in Paris, a romantic comedy directed by Prem Soni. An Indo-French collaboration, the film will have Zinta portraying a half-Indian half-French Parisian woman and will co-star several Indian and French actors. Zinta's role required her to learn French and follow a strict diet and fitness regime, for which she hired the services of celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson.^[69][70] Ishkq in Paris is slated for release on 21 September 2012.^[71]

Other work[link]

Column writing[link]

In 2004, Zinta joined a group of South Asian commentators for BBC News Online. She expressed joy at participating in the project, saying, "I am pretty outspoken and have my own view on every subject. So it will be a good platform for me to air my views."^[72] Her first column, "The changing face of Bollywood", published in January 2004,^[73] discussed the evolution of Bollywood in the past decade. The column became one of the site's ten most read stories of the day. In her second column, "Odds stacked against Indian women", Zinta analysed the eve teasing phenomenon in India, and criticised those who practice it.^[74] She wrote, "Incidences like these take away a woman's dignity, her space and her freedom ... why the state is so helpless in protecting the women. Why should women feel unsafe in a country which had an internationally revered woman prime minister?" The column caught the attention of readers worldwide, and she received thousands of e-mails about it.^[75] It was applauded particularly by women for its stand against abuse of Indian women.^[75] Her third column, "The darkness that all actors fear", was a more personal column and dealt with her stardom, fans, insecurity and fears as an actor.^[76] Her fourth and final column, titled "Facing death in Sri Lanka and Thailand", described her two near-death experiences in late 2004.^[77]

Stage performances and television presenting[link]

Zinta performing at the Temptation 2004.

Zinta has taken part in several stage shows and world tours since 2001. Her first world tour, a series of concerts called Craze 2001, was performed across the U.S. alongside Anil Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Gracy Singh. The show faced early cancellation due to the 11 September 2001 attacks, and the team prepared to return to India as soon as possible. However, the shows continued successfully in Canada.^[78] In 2002, she participated in the show From India With Love in the UK, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. It took place at two outdoor venues, Manchester's Old Trafford and London's Hyde Park, with over 100,000 spectators.^[79] Zinta's largest world tour was in 2004, when she joined a group of stars (Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra) in the Temptation 2004 tour. Showcased in over 22 countries across the world, it became Bollywood's most prominent international concert.^[80][81] In 2006, Zinta was part of the Heat 2006 world tour, along with Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley.^[82] The Unforgettable Tour (2008) saw Zinta performing with the Bachchan family and Ritesh Deshmukh in a 40-day show staged in 11 cities across North America, Europe and the Caribbean.^[83]

In 2011, Zinta made her television debut as the host of the show Guinness World Records – Ab India Todega on Colors Channel.^[84] An Indian version of Guinness Book of World Records, the show premiered on 18 March to an audience measurement of 3.3 rating points, which made it occupy the 7th position on the chart of celebrity-driven reality shows on Hindi entertainment channels.^[85] In a four-star review for Hindustan Times, critic Rachana Dubey wrote, "Preity is a riot. She’s vivacious and knows exactly when she needs to be serious and when she can crack jokes."^[86] Later that year, Zinta started hosting the celebrity-based chat show Up Close & Personal with PZ, shot at her own penthouse in Mumbai and broadcast on the newly-launched channel UTV Stars. The first episode aired on 3 September.^[71]

Humanitarian work[link]

During her years in the film industry, Zinta has been involved with different charitable organisations and has particularly supported women's causes in India, for instance protesting against female infanticide.^[87][88] She has also participated in AIDS awareness drives and campaigns to clean up Mumbai.^[89]

In 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, Zinta performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert raising money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.^[90] The following year, as an ambassador of the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Movement, Zinta attended a blood donation camp organised by the Rotary Club of Delhi and the Godfrey Phillips Awards. She lent her support to the cause of women's empowerment and promoted blood donation. She said, "Donating blood doesn't kill one but goes on to save somebody's life .... Once blood is donated it becomes universal and might be used by anyone in need, irrespective of community, caste or region. It binds people together."^[91]

In 2007, Zinta visited Hisar, Haryana, where she spent a day at the army training base to boost the morale of the jawan troops. The visit was conducted for an NDTV show, Jai Jawan, on which entertainers and actors visit Indian troops. While there, she also met children with disabilities at a special school maintained by the army.^[92] In August, along with Mumbai-based artist Gurcharan Singh, Zinta painted for the cause of street children for the non-governmental organisation Khushi.^[93] In December, she joined the efforts of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to curb human trafficking in India. She spoke on behalf of awareness against the practice, the need for protection and rehabilitation for those rescued from it, and punishment for perpetrators.^[94]

In January 2010, Zinta was appointed the brand ambassador of The Loomba Trust, an organisation that works for the welfare of widows and their children. She said, having lost her father at 13, she could relate to the problems faced by widowed women.^[95] Later in the year, she joined the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) as their Goodwill Ambassador in India, to promote public awareness on HIV prevention, treatment and support, with emphasis on women and children, and combat discrimination against it. Speaking of her appointment, Zinta expressed hope to be "the voice for the voiceless" and bring about a "transformation in the minds of people" through collaborative work.^[96]

Ownership of IPL cricket team[link]

Along with Ness Wadia and others, Zinta acquired ownership rights in 2008 for the Mohali-based Twenty20 cricket team of the Indian Premier League (IPL).^[97] The group paid $76 million to acquire the franchise, and had since named the team Kings XI Punjab.^[98] Until 2009, Zinta was the only woman to own an IPL team, and was the league's youngest owner.^[99] She has been involved with launching ticket sales and promoting the team.^[99][100] She said, "My involvement with the team is total. I am extremely passionate about our team and I do believe that I am the team's good luck factor, so I want to be there for everything."^[99]

Personal life[link]