Preity Zinta (pronounced [ˈpriːt̪i ˈzɪɳʈaː]; born 31 January 1975) is an Indian actress and businesswoman. She is best known for her work in Hindi movies. After she finished university, where she studied English literature and criminal psychology, Zinta became an actress. Her first movie roles were in Dil Se.. in 1998, followed by a role in Soldier in the same year. For these two movies she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.
She is known for her role as a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna (2000). She also got a lot of praise for her roles in films like Sangharsh (1999), Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001), Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002), and Armaan (2003). She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in the drama Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). She played leading roles in the science fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya (2003) and the romantic drama Veer-Zaara (2004). These two films were the biggest hits in India in 2003 and 2004. She also played other roles like a modern Indian woman in both Salaam Namaste (2005) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). These films were big hits in India and in other countries.
In 2008 she acted in her first movie made outside India. It was a Canadian drama called Heaven on Earth. She won the Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress for this role. After that, she paused with acting for several years. She made only a few movies later. One of them was Ishkq in Paris (2013), which she also produced herself.
Zinta also works as a television presenter and a stage performer, and she helps social causes. From 2004 to 2005, she wrote a column for BBC News Online. She started a film company called PZNZ Media. Since 2008 she has been one of the owners of the cricket team Punjab Kings, which plays in the Indian Premier League. In 2017 she also became the owner of a South African cricket team, the Stellenbosch Kings. In India, Zinta is known for saying what she thinks in public. This has sometimes caused arguments. In 2004 there was a court case against the film producer Bharat Shah. Many witnesses changed what they had said, but Zinta did not change her statements about organised crime. She was given the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Award for this.
Early life
Preity Zinta was born on 31 January 1975 in Shimla, a town in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. She has two brothers. Her father was in the army, but he died in a car crash when she was thirteen. Her mother was badly hurt in the same crash and could not get out of bed for two years. Zinta has said this changed her life and made her grow up quickly.
She went to school in Shimla. Zinta studied English literature at university. She then took a second degree in criminal psychology. After this she started working as a model and appeared in television adverts.
Movie career
Zinta became an actress in 1998. Her first movies were Dil Se.. and Soldier, and she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for them. She became well known for playing a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna (2000).
Her best years were between 2003 and 2006. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). Her movies Koi... Mil Gaya (2003) and Veer-Zaara (2004) were the biggest hits in India in those two years.
In 2008 Zinta acted in her first movie made outside India, a Canadian drama called Heaven on Earth. She won a best actress award at the Chicago International Film Festival for this role. After that she stopped acting for several years. She made a few movies later, including Ishkq in Paris (2013), which she also produced. In 2018 she returned to acting.
Other work
Since 2008, Zinta has been one of the owners of the cricket team Punjab Kings, which plays in the Indian Premier League. She also owns a South African cricket team. From 2004 to 2005 she wrote columns for BBC News Online. She has also worked as a television presenter.
Preity Zinta publicly supports ACT (Against Child Trafficking), and has worked with Melanne Verveer on the global campaign. In 2009 she began paying for the education of 34 girls from an orphanage.
Personal life
Zinta was in a relationship with the businessman Ness Wadia from 2005 to 2009.
On 29 February 2016, Zinta married her American partner Gene Goodenough. They had two children in 2021 by surrogacy. Their children are twins, a boy and a girl. Zinta moved to Los Angeles after her marriage, she often visits India. As of 2025, the family spends time in both Hollywood and Mumbai.
In 2003, Zinta was a witness in a court case against the film producer Bharat Shah, who was said to have links with organised crime. Other witnesses changed what they had said earlier, but Zinta did not, and she was given a national bravery award for this.
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