Preity Zinta meddling with the biggies
Noreen Aslam

BOMBAY—Preity Zinta goes to don the winning streak with the success of ‘Salaam Namaste’ and is basking in happiness. Proving again and again with one successful film following another, Preity is on a hatrick spree, with the achievements adding to her joy and the sparkle in her eyes. There is less doubt that Preity is feeling great for the results her hard work is yielding, as she marches ahead bagging the best opportunity, working with the big banners and with the credible talented people of the industry. Currently in New York for Karan Johar’s ‘Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna’, we catch on her for some latest!
Excerpts from the Interview:
What are you currently doing?
Feeling on top of the world! (Chuckles) It’s great to see that that ‘Salaam Namaste’ is a hit. My exhibitor-friend in Mumbai tells me that it is among the biggest hits of the year. I’ve just wrapped up my schedule for ‘Jaan-e-Man’. Work is complete and now I head for my next, the big one, ‘Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna’. Its great to be in the team of Karan Johar once again. I’m doing diverse works, with varied roles and different directors. All these are certainly adding to the difference in my life.
So Preity is grabbing lots of fun!
Yeah its fun that I’m getting good works. But I’ve also started missing my home now. Most of the time I’m living away from home and this is making me home sick. It’s been a long time I’ve left Mumbai and I feel the place calling me. I want to get back to the people and the food. The outdoor schedules have made my life packed in suitcase.
‘Salaam Namaste’ was a very different film. There was risk involved!
I can’t deny that there was no danger involved in making a film on live-in relationship. There were chances that people wouldn’t accept it. But as a team we were confident and certain about the film’s capabilities. More than anything else it is a film on relationships that is very much evident in urban world. Siddharth Anand was certain what he was making and that meant a lot. Working with Saif in the film was also tempting. From the days of ‘Kya Kehna’ we share a great rapport and so we’ve been able to hit the mark with all the four films we’ve done together.
You are in for another potential biggie ‘Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna’!
I’m so delighted to be part of the film. I’ve worked with Karan Johar in ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’, but he was a producer there. For the first time I’m working with him where he is a director. The film is special for he is attempting something very new, something of a kind that has not been ventured in Bollywood yet.
How was it getting back in a Karan Johar film?
Mind blowing! Working with Karan is fun and the sets are always on the roll. He keeps entertaining you all the time. It’s so nice to be in his film.
How much are you enjoying with your co-stars?
Word of praise will fall less if I start telling about Amitabh Bachchan. Shah Rukh, he is a pleasure to work with. Abhishek Bachchan and me are great buddies. This is for the first time we’ll be working together. Catching up with him on the sets is great. Also I get back with my old time friend Rani Mukherjee. We’ve delivered some cool films in the past. We click and our luck too. Hope this is the case with this film too.
How was working in ‘Jaan-e-Man’?
Shirish Kunder is brilliant and in the coming days will make as one of the big directors of the industry. I get together with Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan for the film again. Akshay and me had some rolling fun times. With Salman also the shooting went cool. It’s a fun film, a thorough entertainer. Now I’m doing my homework for ‘Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna’ as it demands the best for being absolutely different.