Preity Zinta

Preity Zinta (Hindi: प्रीति ज़िंटा. Pronunciation: /priːt̪ɪ zɪɳʈaː/ born January 31, 1975) is an Indian film actress. She has appeared in Hindi cinemas of Bollywood, as well as Telugu and English language movies. A criminal psychology graduate, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se in 1998, followed by Soldier in the same year. She won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for both films, and was later recognized for her performance as a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna. She would subsequently display her range, taking on a number of roles as characters of a diverse nature, and in doing so, has been credited with bringing a change in the image of Hindi film heroine.

Zinta received her first Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in the drama Kal Ho Naa Ho in 2003, which became India's top-grossing film in the overseas market that year. She played the lead female role in two consecutive annual top-grossing films in India: the science fiction Koi... Mil Gaya, her biggest commercial success to date, and the cross-border romance Veer-Zaara, which earned her critical acclaim. She was later noted for her portrayal of independent, modern Indian women in Salaam Namaste and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, overseas top grossers. Zinta thus has established herself as a leading actress of Hindi cinema.

In addition to acting, Zinta is a columnist, having written columns for BBC News Online South Asia, and a regular stage performer. She is known in the Indian media for publicly speaking her mind and openly expressing her opinions, occasionally surrounding herself with controversy. These controversies include most notably her being the only witness not to retract in court her earlier statements against the Indian underworld during the Bharat Shah case, for which she won the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Award.

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