Preity Zinta on Her IPL Win

Its safe to say that Preity Zinta getting a piece of the IPL pie surprised many. However Zinta has proven that Cricket is not for the boys and congrats to Preity for showing some great business acumen.

Says Zinta:
“why do boys have to have all the fun? It’s 2008, women should get more active in business. I won’t pretend to be a huge cricket buff, but now I’ve no choice, I’m learning about the game. I’m reading books, watching old matches. I think cricket is a gentleman’s sport, regardless of winning and losing. And I know how to hold a bat and I know what sixers and fours are all about!”

She’s also reportedly a part of (and endorses) the Wadia family airline. “But this is my first bona fide business venture. I’ve never before submitted a tender and felt the thrill of watching it materialise. I can’t be a sleeping partner in any business. I’d give everyone nightmares! Can you imagine me keeping quiet? Not when the entertainment industry is rocking. Cricket and Bollywood coming together is huge,” laughed Preity.

Do their professional alliances indicate a life together? “I don’t know,” replied Preity, “but Ness and I work well together. We hope to make the IPL deal a success. It’s the first time I’m sitting in a boardroom. So many firsts for me! I’m excited. It’s very different from working on a film where you’re on your own when ‘action’ is called on camera.”

Mumbai festival with Preity Zinta

I want to succeed in business too: Preity

Actress-turned-businesswoman Preity Zinta who, along with her partner Ness Wadia and two others, has cut a lucrative deal for the Indian Premier League (IPL), says she wants to succeed in her endeavour.

The actress, who was last seen in "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom", told IANS: "When I do anything in life for the first time, I want to succeed. I'm very lucky to have such a competent group of partners. Not just Ness, who's much more than my business partner.

"Then there're Karan Paul and Mohit Puri - very reputed and solid businessmen. We're all going to contribute in our own ways. It's our dream to be a part of the cricket team. And we'll focus on the spirit of sportsmanship. Of course, it's finally about numbers."

Interestingly, this isn't the first time Preity is doing business with Ness.

"Go Air, which I endorse, is doing so well. I'm so excited. I haven't been able to sleep. I've got dark circles around my eyes. I've forgotten I'm an actress and I need to look after myself.

"It's very different from working on a film where you're on your own when 'action' is called on camera. In a boardroom, there's constant conference and multi-tasking. The creative process is different in both the spheres."

Preity won the IPL bid for the Mohali team for a whopping Rs.3 billion. So does that strike as a good number?

"Well, if we play we might as well play big. But, honestly, I believe cricket to be truly a gentleman's sport, regardless of winning and losing. No point in negative competition. The good thing about this deal is that it will enhance domestic cricket, which in turn will enhance our reputation internationally."

Preity, who turns 33 on Jan 31, was planning a big birthday party.

"But now, with all this happening, I'll have to delay it a little bit. It's suddenly sunk into me that I need to get seriously creative. My partners have left all the creative decisions to me. I need to build a solid team of creative people. I feel every woman should feel good for me. It's 2008! Women should get more active in business.

Preity Zinta - ‘Ness and I are happy together’

Media had been abuzz lately with stories of Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia heading for a splitville. There were rumours that Preity was shooting for Deepa Mehta’s film in Toronto and boyfriend Ness too had accompanied her to spend time with her. However since Deepa is a tough taskmaster, Preity hardly had time to spend with Ness and this apparently led to an argument between the couple. Sources claimed that after the showdown between Ness and Preity, an upset Ness returned to Mumbai and Preity was once again immersed with her shoot.

However, Preity terms the entire story as rubbish and says, “I don’t know where these stories originate from. A few months ago it was being said that Ness and I were getting married and now it’s being said that he and I have split.” Preity has always tried to keep her personal life in covers and was obviously upset with media intrusion into her relationships. So, was her curt reply when questioned about her relationship with Ness, “Ness and I are happy together, thank you very much.”

Umrao Jaan (starring Rekha)

Umrao Jaan was one of the first Bollywood movies I'd seen, so I decided to revisit it the other day to see if my opinion had changed a year (and several Bollywood films) later.

Two things came out of this experience. First, I realized I didn't remember much about it all, because I sort of felt like I was viewing it for the first time. Second, I actually enjoyed and appreciated the film much more.

During my initial viewing of Umrao Jaan, I lost interest towards the middle of the movie. Not so this time. In fact, I was quite absorbed in Umrao's woeful life, from beginning to end. I don't know, maybe I wasn't used to the length of a Bollywood movie back then, because this time I actually thought the movie flowed together pretty well...the script stuck to the story and the ending wasn't dragged out. That's something to applaud in Bollywood!

And although I must have thought Rekha was a natural as Umrao Jaan, this time I was actually mesmerized by her performance. Technically, she's not one of my favorite actresses, but I definately have a girl-crush on her! She was Umrao Jaan...Every bat of her long black eyelashes, every alluring glance, every purse of her ruby lips...she had it down to a science. Rekha made the perfect courtesan as she bewitched men with her charm, drawing them deep into her web of seduction.

Naweb Sultan illustrates this for us with this smitten stare...



Wow, look at the intensity in his left eye! How could Umrao resist?

But all jokes aside, Farooq Shaikh portrayed Sultan appropriately. He was refined and composed, yet had a weakness for Umrao he was unable to shake. His role was minor in comparison to Rekha's, but his entrance in the film was a relief because I was beginning to fear her love interest would end up being Naseeruddin Shah's annoying character. And thank God it wasn't.

Besides the performances, I also couldn't resist taking a bunch of screenshots for this blog's banner...there's just something about the look of the film. So classic yet not forced. I could watch the movie just for the visuals alone.

I'm aware that Umrao Jaan's music is considered timeless in Bollywood. Since I don't speak Hindi, I have no right to argue, but I really only enjoyed them because of Rekha's dance moves.

Poor, poor Umrao Jaan. She had such a tragic and lonely life, and my heart just bled for her. Yet her character seemed so human to me because she was longing for love more than anything else. I'm so glad I decided to watch her story again, because I literally saw it in a whole new light. Note to Bollywood: Give me more stories with a female at the center!

Text © Copyright 2008 Nida Nazir
Bitten By Bollywood

Jab We Met

Dear Kareena Kapoor,

I owe you an apology.

Frankly, I never liked you very much. I really don't know why. It could have been the way you and SRK pawed at each other in that dreadful hotel scene in Don. Or maybe it was the voice in the back of my head during Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham that kept shouting, "Paris Hilton!" every time you were onscreen. Or perhaps I thought you were arrogant after reading some comments you made about your peers on Bollywhat.com.
Whatever the case was, one thing was clear- you were not one of my favorite actresses.

Until I saw Jab We Met, a darling romantic comedy that delighted me from beginning to end. This movie made me realize I was wrong. How foolish I was to judge you off of two performances and some quotes about Salman Khan (who I happen to also think can't really act)!


You were awesome as Geet! I didn't know you had it in you, Bebo! I could learn to love you like this. You were spunky, witty, adorable, full of life... You even did a good job at fake-crying! And your au naturale look really showed off your hidden gorgeousness. For the first time I didn't think about the Paris Hilton thing!

Bravo, Kareena. Thank you (and mostly your production crew) for giving us a romantic comedy that doesn't consist of the two leads hopping into bed together and falling in love later (if ever). Pay attention, Hollywood...


And although I may be making a hasty decision here based off of one viewing, I'm going to say this next comment anyways: Forget the mild similarities to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. I liked this movie even better than DDLJ.

If it wouldn't be too awkward for you (Because let's not kid ourselves, we've all read the stories), please pass this message onto your costar: His portrayal of Aditya was just as memorable. This character was exactly what I would want in a man. The guy had just been dumped, and may have moped around for most of the beginning, but he dropped his baggage in a flash once he saw what a gem Geet was. He never said to her, "Well, I've just been through a lot, so I need some time to heal before jumping into anything serious". No. He wasn't going to let this one get away. And I appreciated that there was no cliched "resurfacing" of his ex towards the end, forcing him to choose between her and Geet. In fact, she was never mentioned again after the love story started to kick in. Aditya was falling for Geet, and never once looked back at the woman who had left him. He never made her feel like she would be second best. Whoo-hoo! Now that's a man.


I'm glad you and your ex turned out Jab We Met before things got ugly. The world is a better place because of it, I'm convinced. Your cute little movie was so good, I've moved it onto my favorites shelf, right next to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dil Chata Hai. It deserves to be there.

Well, Kareena, you did it. You managed to change my opinion about you and give me a new movie to love, all in one shot. Thanks again for the good work-- I'll be looking forward to your next films. In the meantime, I'll be recommending this one to anyone who will listen.

Oh! And one more thing...If you didn't want Shahid, you could have just passed him along this way. Seriously.

Text © Copyright Nida Nazir 2008 Link to Home

preity Zinta New Natural Images/Wallpapers

Partner

The best thing about watching Partner was that I finally got to see Govinda really dance. And, boy, can he ever! His fluid movements made even the mighty Salman Khan look insecure.


The movie was, however, a reminder to myself that I may not be fully ready for comedy a la Bollywood. I enjoyed Jhoom Barabar Jhoom because it used its emptiness to be funny, but Partner wasn't really that type of film. Although I did get a few good laughs (Salman Khan's car being vandalized, Govinda being bum rushed at airport security...), most of the time I thought the movie was just chaotic. Then again, maybe I can only tolerate Govinda's voice in small doses (as in Salaam-E-Ishq), because I tend to find it annoying after awhile.

Salman Khan's no comedic genius, either, but he actually did better than I anticipated. This could be because his character, Prem, was supposed to be played with certain airs, something I think comes naturally for him. It could also be because of the way he treated Lara Dutta's Naina when he found out she had a son. They were a package deal, and Prem was more than willing to accept them both. Finally, Bollywood decides to show single mothers some love, too! And considering my opinion of Salman, it was very refreshing to see his character react this way, particularly when he popped up at the mall and told Naina a man should be "a husband in the drawing room, a boyfriend in the bedroom, and a cook in the kitchen." I'm not going to argue with you there, Sallu!

It's probably already common knowledge that Partner is Bollywood's attempt to duplicate Hitch. I decided before I started watching that I wasn't going to compare the two, but as the movie progressed I realized that was nearly impossible. Some of the scenes were direct copycats, which hurt Partner because it set the bar too high for Govinda and Salman. If there was one thing I loved about Hitch, it was the smooth comedy between Will Smith and Kevin James. Salman and Govinda were fun to watch onscreen (especially during the songs), but weren't that good.

Not only that, but Partner was about 45 minutes too long and didn't flow the way Hitch did. Since there was nothing really unique that would make Partner stand out from Hitch (other than the single mother bit), there is absolutely no reason for me to ever watch Partner again. I'll just rent the better-made Hollywood version.

Ahh, but alas, the real question of Partner is what kind of fashion statement whoever dressed Salman Khan was trying to make. One minute he looked like a wannabe gangsta, the next he was wearing a Tweety shirt. And although the black wifebeater/red scarf looked nice, it was hardly something I would have chosen for a "Love Guru".

I do have one final reason to thank Partner, though. I finally got my payoff for sitting through Don: The Chase Begins Again, which was this: I "got" the whole Chota Don spoof.

So Partner wasn't a total waste of the two dollars it cost me to rent it.

Text (c) 2008 Nida Nazir Link to Home

Don: The Chase Begins Again

My brother said it best: Don:The Chase Begins Again could have been a pretty good movie, if it had been directed, edited, scripted and subtitled better.

But it wasn't.


Not even close. Beth's post warned about the poor subtitles in the film, but nothing could have prepared me for this. In fact, I think there were more lines with grammatical errors than those that actually made sense. I found it so distracting that it was hard to stay focused on the film, which was rapidly losing its credibility with me, for other reasons...

I've been tempted in the past to make a comment about this but since I'm not a medical professional (just yet) I didn't think I was qualified to criticize. But I've now been pushed to the point where I just don't care... What is up with the improbable deaths in Bollywood? We have Pooja in
Hum Aaapke Hain Koun (slides down the stairs face up with no apparent neck injury, then appears to be conscious in the hospital, says a few lines and dies), Tiger's mother in Hum (dies almost instantly for no apparent reason after her husband is crushed to death), and now Ramesh who drowns with one simple push into a pool by Don. I realize its possible he just couldn't swim, but there was no follow-up, simply a cut to a teary Kareena Kapoor. No kicking, gasping for air, or screaming for help. If they can come up with a fighting scene in midair, they can take a little more time to kill off Ramesh properly.

Unfortunately, Ramesh's death was just the beginning. I found myself constantly having to piece together where we were going, what was happening, who this new character was, etc. (i.e. Arjun Rampal's entrance, what Kamini was doing in the club after her hubby had just died, why later Kamini was lying on the floor and letting the elevator door hit her repeatedly, and the list goes on and on). Like I said, I'm no professional, but I'm willing to bet this is what one would call a choppy screenplay.

Thanks to this movie, I actually found myself repulsed by one of my favorite actors, Shahrukh Khan. Take the hotel scene with Kareena Kapoor (who I have yet to find it in my heart to like anyways). The music, the jerky movements between the actors, and the poor photography gave that entire scene a really sleazy vibe, in my opinion.

Luckily, as the movie progressed, and Shahrukh portrayed Vijay's transformation from a gullible scaredy cat to a confident action "hero", amidst vivacious dancing and trademark SRK faces, I grew more comfortable with him as "the Don". By the end of the movie, I decided Shahrukh was not the problem here...I actually thought he did a pretty good job in his fighting sequences. I would give him another shot in an action role if he chose to make one.

The second half of Don was better than the first, but by the time we got there I just really wanted the movie to end. So here's where editing would have been nice.

The music was passable, but just barely. I didn't know most of the songs were from the original Don, and I don't know if that would have made a difference to me or not. The sets and costumes were nice enough, but for some reason, the dance sequences lacked all the fanfare that I love about Bollywood songs. The audio was blah, the colors were all muted (except for Priyanka's stunning coral dress) and the presentation was shoddy. Another thing that could have been done better, especially when you have competent performers like Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra.

Shahrukh and the gang gave it their best shot, but probably had no idea the end result would turn out like this. Makes me wonder what that must be like for actors. I mean, you work on a film that seems like it will turn out great, put your all into it, then get to the premiere and realize with a sinking heart that your movie didn't turn out the way you expected it to. But by then its too late. I could imagine that happening here. Like I said, the plot outline is actually pretty interesting, the sets for some of the songs had potential, and the actors did a great job in the fighting scenes. If I were an actress, I would have signed on to do it. It's what should have happened behind the scenes and didn't that turned this into a bad movie. And that must have been frustrating for the cast.


I just want to make it clear that I don't mean to sound snobby about this stuff, and I realize my Hollywood-grown attitude needs to adjust to certain things if I'm going to kick back and have a good time in Bollywood. But since I am recording my journey through Indian cinema, its necessary for me to write my honest reactions and issues as they arise. I know I'm going to run into many more misspelled words and unexplained deaths. And although that may be frustrating at times, more often than not it will be worth overlooking because the film is so good.

But then there will be times like these.

Text © Copyright 2008 Nida Nazir Link to Home

Preity Zinta Bollywood Actress/hot wallpapers

Preity Zinta Born in Shimla 31 January 1975, Himachal Pradesh, she hails from a family of Rohru in Shimla District. Preity Zinta initially planned to do an English honours but later decided to pursue psychology. Preity Zinta also attended Bombay University. After earning a degree in criminal psychology at the St. Bedes College, Zinta began her career as a model and commercial ad films actress and Preity Zinta was seen in Lyril’s soap ad film.Preity Zinta father, Durganand Zinta was an officer in the Indian Army. Durganand Zinta died when Preity was thirteen, in a car accident which also involved her mother, Nilprabha Zinta. Her mother broke many bones in the accident, including her spine. Her mother was bedridden for two years because of this incident. Zinta has two brothers, Deepankar Zinta and Manish Zinta, a year older and a year younger, respectively. Deepankar is a commissioned officer in the Indian Army, while Manish is settled in Los Angeles.

Preity Zinta is an award-winning Indian actress who appears in Bollywood movies. She is among the most successful actresses in the industry, and is regarded as one of the biggest names in India. Zinta has primarily acted in mainstream cinema having the biggest hits of the last years, but has also done some critically acclaimed films. Today, Zinta is placed on the top in the list of the biggest actresses of this generation.

The Delhiite who hails from a defence background, had already made her mark as a model while still in school & shot to fame as the refreshing, cool, wet model in the Liril ad. This, along with her mischievous expressions and twinkling eyes in the Cadbury’s Perk ad brought her to Shekhar Kapur’s notice. The famed director was then looking for fresh faces to launch his film ’Tara Rum Pum Pum’. Preity signed on the dotted line, but the film never took off. However, her name was already doing the industry rounds and she bagged a couple of films in quick time. Luckily for Preity, ’Dil Se..’ was her first release. The film bombed at the box-office, but Preity’s dazzling smile and pleasant disposition in a small but significant role left behind a decidedly happy impression. With ’Dil Se..’ Preity had already proved she could act. ’Soldier’ (1998) and ’Sangharsh’ (1999) have merely reiterated this fact. In the former she played an impish, spoilt rich girl with great conviction. In the latter she was equally at ease executing the part of a gritty young CBI trainee in search of a dreaded killer. She made a mark in the industry with her film "Kya Kehna". She’s hit the highway 2003 year with two good performances The Hero and Armaan and one big hit Koi... Mil Gaya. The road ahead looks even better, plum projects with Yash Chopra, Karan Johar and Farhan Akhtar have taken care of that. Recently seen in movies ’Kal Ho Naa Ho’ & ’Lakshya’. However, Preity, a relentless self-improver, doesn’t take her success lightly. Or too seriously either, for that matter. Maybe that’s why she enjoys it so much. Preity, a graduate in Psychology, is so pretty, outspoken and a beautiful actress-dancer who keeps smiling all the time with a dimple on her right cheek. She acted in one movie in Tollywood too. She dated Marc Robinson, one of the hottest models in India, Model and TV anchor (2001) now, broke up with Marc Robinson.

Preity Zinta and Isha Koppikar’s new found friendship

Jhanu Barua’s ‘Har Pal’ turned out to be a wonderful experience for Preity Zinta and Isha Koppikar, as both of them found a new friend in each other. The film too portrays both of them as close friends on-screen.

During the shooting, Isha had problem in staying awake for her night schedules and it was Preity who offered to help Isha by keeping her awake while chatting with her. Both the actresses even shared their lunch boxes.

Isha says, “Preity is a very nice girl and she has a lot of masala for entertainment. We have decided that we will stay in touch even after the shooting is over.” As for Preity, she says that she would have married Isha if she was a boy.

On the last day of the shooting both the actresses hugged each other and exchanged gifts to say goodbye. Preity gifted her favorite Coco channel perfume to Isha. She believes Isha would always remember her because of this gift.

Preity Zinta’s Bengali connection

Preity Zinta, the North India is now veering towards everything Bengali. She finds herself in love with everything related to Bengal. Sweets, exotic saris, melodies and everything which the City of Joy has on offer.

This Bengali influence is ever since she has started working with Rituparno Ghosh, for The Last Lear. In fact, this movie has Preity in a totally traditional look with cotton saris, big bindi. A look she has never sported yet in her Bollywood roles.

She never misses any opportunity to visit Kolkata. She was recently invited to be part of the Durga pooja celebrations and she happily obliged.

She enjoys having puchkas (the Bong version of paani puris or golgappas) in the little clay pots, standing at the roadside stalls, in true Bengali style.

Looks like the other Bong queens of Bollywood, Bipasha Basu and Rani Mukherji will soon have Preity joining the Bong Gang of Beauties !

Preity Zinta to have her New Year bash in Phuket

She has just finished her shooting as a battered wife for Deepa Mehta’s ‘Heaven On Earth’ and now, actress Preity Zinta is off to Phuket, Thailand with her friends to welcome the new year.

Shooting for the film has drained Preity emotionally and she needs a break badly. “Deepa Mehta and ‘Heaven On Earth’ have proved eye openers for me. But the film was tough on me emotionally. In the month that I was in Toronto, I went out just twice and that too to maintain my sanity. I really need a break now,” says Preity.

Preity had only one release this year, “Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’ which bombed at the box-office. Preity will return from her vacation in the second week of January with a clear date diary.

“I haven’t said yes to any of the scripts I’ve heard. I’ll take a call when I return from my holiday. But yes, 2007 has been my year of unconventional films. So 2008 will probably be a year of hardcore masala movies,” adds the bubbly actress