Bubbly
is
to
Preity
Zinta
what
an
Angry
Young
Man
is
to
Amitabh
Bachchan.
No
matter
how
old
they
grow,
the
terms
are
inextricably
attached
to
their
personality.
As
much
Preity
would
like
to
be
relieved
of
everyone’s
ebullient
expectations
of
her,
truth
is
few
have
fizzed
up
the
silver
screen
like
she
has.
Remember
when
the
dimpled
star
was
the
face
for
Perk
chocolates?
You
can’t
fake
such
pep.
Every
time
zingy
Zinta
surfaced
on
screen,
even
the
dullest
of
scenarios
took
the
shape
of
sunshine.
Fresh,
free-spirited
and
full
of
beans,
the
Preity
Zinta
era
marked
a
welcome
change
from
the
preening,
politically-correct
types.
From
taking
on
the
underworld
to
calling
out
abusive
boyfriends,
she
showed
she’s
as
strong
as
she
is
sweet.
Director
Mani
Ratnam
tapped
this
quality
early
on
in
his
1998
drama,
Dil
Se..,
where
her
brief
role
as
Shah
Rukh
Khan’s
charming
fiancée
launched
her
in
the
world
of
movies.
Subsequently,
Preity’s
oeuvre
of
smart,
sensitive,
stylish
urban
girls
did
make
a
conscious
effort
to
branch
out
in
serious
territory
but
mostly,
Bollywood
appeared
unequipped
to
find
a
good
fit
for
her
capabilities.
A
decade
after
her
debut,
the
actress
found
her
calling
as
the
co-owner
and
cheerleader
of
Punjab
Kings
(erstwhile
Kings
XI
Punjab)
cricket
franchise
at
the
Indian
Premier
League.
Married
to
American
Gene
Goodenough
and
mom
of
twins
Jai
and
Gia,
PZ
shuttles
between
India
and
abroad
to
live
life
on
her
terms,
which
includes
filming
Rajkumar
Santoshi’s
Lahore
1947
co-starring
Sunny
Deol
after
a
seven-year
hiatus.
On
her
50th
birthday
on
January
31,
Sukanya
Verma
celebrates
the
milestone
with
a
list
of
her
10
best
performances.
Dil
Se..
(1998)
A
daisy
fresh
Preity
Zinta’s
giggle
and
gyaan
on
all
things
‘honka
bonka
bonks’
may
have
left
SRK
feeling
sheepish
but
the
audience
couldn’t
have
enough
of
her
sunny
spontaneity
in
an
otherwise
intense
movie.
Sangharsh
(1999)
As
a
traumatised
cop
juggling
between
the
demons
of
her
past
and
tracking
down
a
child
killing
psychopath
with
the
help
of
a
charismatic
convict,
Preity
lends
her
portrayal
a
vulnerability
that
makes
her
insecurity
and
inaptitude
as
human
as
her
tenacity.
Kya
Kehna!
(2000)
PZ
addresses
teen
pregnancy
in
Kya
Kehna‘s
conventionally
packaged
bold
premise
(back
in
2000
anyway)
in
a
manner
so
heartfelt,
you
almost
overlook
its
excessive
melodrama
and
feeble
feminism.
Dil
Chahta
Hai
(2001)
More
than
two
decades
later,
the
We-LOVE-Shalini
club
is
going
strong
as
ever.
Soft,
serene,
genuine,
lovely,
romantic
—
PZ
is
flawless
in
her
portrayal
of
a
young
woman
every
guy
dreams
of
falling
in
love
with,
every
girl
wants
to
be
friends
with
and
every
parent
would
feel
proud
of.
Kal
Ho
Naa
Ho
(2003)
The
level
of
relatability
Preity
brought
to
her
characters,
their
everyday
emotions
no
matter
how
desi
or
NRI,
nerdy
or
glamorous,
made
a
lot
of
young
women
of
the
early
2000s
feel
represented
in
simple,
significant
ways.
It’s
what
makes
Naina
Catherine
Kapur’s
story
of
love
and
friendship
so
enjoyable
as
well
as
moving
in
Kal
Ho
Naa
Ho.
Salaam
Namaste
(2005)
PZ
turns
on
the
heat
and
heart
like
only
she
can
in
chronicling
the
challenges
of
modern
love,
live-in
relationships
and
unplanned
motherhood
when
her
fiercely
independent
young
woman
falls
for
Saif
Ali
Khan’s
immature
but
lovable
lad
in
Melbourne
city.
Armaan
(2003)
One
of
the
most
endearing
figures
of
Bollywood,
Preity
is
equally
impactful
making
life
hell
for
Anil
Kapoor
as
the
rich,
rash,
spoiled
significant
other
suspecting
him
of
carrying
on
with
his
ex
behind
her
back.
Although
the
movie
flopped
and
garnered
more
notice
for
its
bad
hairdos,
the
actress
comes
out
on
top.
Veer
Zaara
(2004)
Preity
shatters
her
chic,
city
girl
imagery
to
play
a
demure
dream
straight
out
of
Yash
Chopra’s
romantic
vision
in
his
old-fashioned
across-the-border
love
story
of
star
crossed
lovers.
A
picture
of
passion
and
exquisite
Pakistani
fashion,
as
Zaara
she
exudes
grace
and
restraint
in
equal
measure.
Lakshya
(2004)
The
sheer
warmth
Preity
brings
to
her
role
—
be
it
as
the
patient
girlfriend
of
a
wealthy
slacker
in
college
or
focused
war
reporter
filing
news
from
dangerous
locations
feeling
a
rush
of
emotions
when
she
bumps
into
his
responsible
avatar
on
the
field,
it’s
so
uncomplicated,
you
take
it
for
granted.
Videsh/Heaven
on
Earth
(2009)
Deepa
Mehta’s
mix
of
domestic
violence
and
mythological
mysticism
struggles
to
make
its
point
but
Preity
is
haunting
in
her
transformation
as
a
new
bride
traveling
from
Punjab
to
Toronto
only
to
find
herself
at
the
receiving
end
of
an
abusive
spouse.
Duly
noted
are
her
turns
in
movies
that
capture
PZ
power
at
its
sparkling
or
subdued
best.
Be
it
a
martyr’s
widow
in
Heroes,
a
NRI
fashion
editor
trying
to
run
the
home
as
well
as
salvage
her
marriage
to
a
bitter
man
in
Kabhi
Alvida
Naa
Kehna,
a
poor
little
rich
girl
discovering
aliens
and
friendships
in
Koi…
Mil
Gaya,
an
actress
bogged
down
by
a
toxic
relationship
in
The
Last
Lear,
a
sex
worker
agreeing
to
become
a
surrogate
for
a
childless
couple
in
Chori
Chori
Chupke
Chupke,
there
are
quite
a
few
feathers
in
her
cap.
Photographs
curated
by
Satish
Bodas/Rediff.com
