Preity's HEAVEN ON EARTH is now VIDESH!

February 17th, 2009

The talented director is back with another hard hitting social drama. Deepa Mehta's latest venture which was titled HEAVEN ON EARTH internationally is now going to be called VIDESH for the Indian territory and will hit the theatres in March.

The movie stars the gorgeous Preity Zinta and introduces Vansh Bhardwaj and is produced under the renowned banner BR Films. The film has already released in Canada to an overwhelming response; with Preity Zinta winning the Best Actress award at the Chicago film festival, and also getting nominated at the 29th Genie Awards which is the Canadian equivalent to the Oscars.

Says Sanjay Bhutian, the CEO of BR Films, ''We did not want our Indian audiences to misinterpret the title HEAVEN ON EARTH to be an English film. Hence we changed the film's name to VIDESH as this would connect well with the Indian audiences.''

Well, that's not all! Punjabi film enthusiasts are in for a treat as VIDESH is going to be released in both Hindi as well as Punjabi!

Preity Zinta nominated for Canada's Genie Awards

February 16th, 2009

Toronto: Bollywood actress Preity Zinta has been nominated for the Genie Awards for her performance in "Heaven on Earth", directed by Canada-based Indian filmmaker Deepa Mehta.

The actress has been nominated in the Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role category. The nomination was announced by The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT).

Preity will be vying with Hollywood actresses like Susan Sarandon and Ellen Burstyn who have been nominated for "Emotional Arithmetic" and "The Stone Angel"respectively.

"Heaven on Earth" is about a battered Punjabi housewife in Canada. The film has also been nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

The awards will be announced on April 4 at Ottawa in Canada.

Preity Zinta fulfils her father’s dream

February 10th, 2009

The effusive Preity Zinta said that the real reason why she was taking an interest in the Indian Premier League was because she was fulfilling the dream of her father. Preity’s father was a great sports enthusiast who used to sponsor the Duraganand Zinta Football Tournament in North India.

Preity’s father was also known to sponsor poor children who were interested in sports. After the death of her father, Preity wanted to start a big sports school. But lack of funds forced her to put off the project.

She is now making it up in a way by joining the Premier League and playing an active role in sponsoring the Kings XI Punjab team.

Preity Zinta Collects Waste at Carter Road Seafront - Spreads Environmental Awareness

February 9th, 2009

Preity Zinta visited Carter Road sea front with volunteers and helped in the cleaning drive. Preity Zinta is the brand ambassador of The Greenathon, an initiative by NDTV & Toyota to spread environmental awareness.

Several Bollywood celebrities participated in the NDTV & Toyota initiative to spread environmental awareness.

New things about IPL 2009

February 6th, 2009

Shilpa Shetty will launch a talent hunt for cheerleaders for her Rajasthan IPL team.
Katrina Kaif resumes the role of mascot for the Bangalore team.

Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty have invested Rs 75 crore for a 12 per cent stake in the Rajasthan team.
Akshay Kumar will not be the mascot for Delhi’s team this year.

Riya Sen is the brand ambassador for the IPL website.
Rajasthan’s team will launch a clothing line and a documentary film on the team.

Knights and Angels is a talent show on NDTV Imagine where Sourav Ganguly hunts for cheerleaders. Chennai Super Kings Cheerleaders is also a talent hunt show, to start soon on Vijay TV.
Chennai Super Kings Juniors is a talent hunt for young cricketers, also coming on Vijay TV.

Perscussionist Sivamani will perform with the finalists of Chennai’s cheerleader hunt.

Preity Zinta’s Mohali team is also launching a talent hunt and a cricket academy in Mohali.

Pakistani players are out of the IPL Season 2.

England cricketers are in this year, including star players Kevin
Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff.
* Aussie David Warner joins the Delhi team, while Michael Clarke pulls out of the IPL.
* 112 overseas players are auctioned this season.
* Rs 600 crore (nearly half the ad budget for cricket in 2009) is the advertising money so far.
* Rs 9.6 crore is the spending cap on the teams for 2009.
* Bangalore trades Robin Uthappa for Mumbai’s Zaheer Khan. Mumbai’s Ashish Nehra is traded for Delhi’s Shikhar Dhawan.
SRK’s team has Eden Gardens, but is checking out Cuttack stadium as well.

Preity Zinta adopts 34 orphans

February 4th, 2009

Bollywood pretty gal Preity Zinta who is known for her outspoken nature also carries a heart of gold. Though she is associated with few social organizations and donates money for charity very often, recently she has done a great humanitarian work by adopting 34 orphan girls from the Mother Miracle School in Hrishikesh during her 34th birthday.

Regarding the noble deeds that she has rendered, Preity said, "Yes. I have adopted them and will be completely looking after their education, food, clothes etc. It`s an amazing feeling to be part of their lives. I'm going to make it a point to visit them at least twice a year. They are my children, my responsibility now."

Preity at first decided to spend those big bucks on an imported car but later she changed her mindset and donated the money for a charitable cause. "The horrors of female foeticide and child abuse are not just headlines for me. These 34 girls are just the beginning, I am going to adopt a couple more on every birthday", adds Preity.

Adopting 34 orphans one at a time is not a matter of joke and Preity stands as an example for all. She truly deserves huge round of applause.

I am a law-abiding citizen: Preity

February 3rd, 2009

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta is upset over the hue and cry that was created on news channels after the Mumbai police played party pooper at her birthday bash.

"I had a party and the police came and put the music off. They also fined me and I paid it on the same night. I also have the receipt for the same. The music did not come up again as mentioned on some sensational channels," the actress, who turned 34 Saturday, said in a press statement.

Slum-dwellers near Preity's flat in Quantum Park building in Bandra here had complained of loud music early Sunday morning and the police ordered her to turn down the volume of the loudspeakers.

Preity was penalised as per the provisions for flouting noise pollution rules. But she is miffed with media for sensationalising the incident.

Journalism is about investigation and reporting the facts. Things like 'I broke the law and no action was taken' on me plus a rich versus poor story on TV channels is upsetting,” Preity said.

“There should be a law against sensational and false news being passed off on news channels as news. I am a law-abiding citizen so please check your facts before putting it on TV,she added.

Preity Zinta invites controversy

February 1st, 2009

Mumbai : Everything was going superb for birthday girl Preity Zinta when she turned 34 on Saturday. The birthday party was in full swing and party animals were rocking on loud music. Than all of a sudden, Mumbai police barged in and asked the actress to stop the party, which was disrupting people, residing nearby her apartment.

According to the sources, around 3.00 am in the morning police received a phone complaint against late night Party at her Bandra based apartment.

Initially, police didn't respond against the call but fearing media coverage, a police party reached at her apartment and asked to stop the party.

However, no further action was taken against her.

It is possibly the first time when such a complaint has been filed against the dimpled damsel as she is believed to be a strict follower of law and order by the industry people.

The incident took place late last night when people residing in nearby slums complained about the high volume loudspeaker to the police, sources said.

It is worth mentioning here that the music was slowed down when police interrupted but it didn't last for long.

According to the sources, 'As soon as the police left, the music was as loud as it was before.'

Bollywood celebs like Shah Rukh Khan, Chunky Pandey were present in the party, sources said.

However, police says that appropriate penalty would be charged from the actress.

Preity's thinking of children

January 31st, 2009

It’s Bollywood cutie Preity Zinta’s birthday today.

But you needn’t worry about a present. For, the bubbly, 34-year-old actress has got a bagful of gifts that she wants to distribute after a “small get-together with friends”. Talking to BT yesterday, Preity said, “I want to do something more meaningful. I feel like it’s my new beginning and I want to do something completely different. I’m going to be a part of this campaign called Light a Billion Lights where you sponsor electricity to a complete village which works on solar technology. That is something I’m going to do.”

Then, Preity also intends to sponsor the education of underprivileged children. “I feel the only difference between a rich and a poor kid is that the former has the resources to get proper education whereas the poor kid doesn’t. I feel if a poor kid is given the same, he will do much better than the rich kid,” said the actress who is hell-bent on making a difference in whatever capacity that she can. “God has given me so much so now I feel it’s my turn to give back,” explained Preity. And what will she gift herself today?

“I was thinking of buying myself a luxury car but then everytime I drive on bumpy Mumbai’s roads, I get disappointed and change my mind!” But if there is one wish she has for herself this year, then Preity wants her IPL team to lift the trophy this year. “It has these little diamonds on it and diamonds are a girl’s best friend - so you know what I mean, don’t you,” smiled the pert actress saucily.

Farhan Akhtar Out, Preity Zinta In

January 27th, 2009

The word going around in tinsel town is that Preity will be taking over from Farhan Akhtar as the host of NDTV Imagine show Oye! It’s Friday.

According to a source, “Karan Johar was to take over from Farhan but the director is currently busy shooting for his film My Name is Khan. The channel and the production house have approached Preity and in all likelihood we will get to see her in the show.”

We called up another source that is closely attached with the show. This is what our source had to say, “Yes, Preity is one of the probable candidates. Apparently, Anupam Kher is another name that was doing the rounds. Though things are not yet finalised, it is likely to be Preity who will host the show.

Preity Zinta: The New Messiah of Indian Cricket

January 26th, 2009

Riding high on the IPL success, Preity Zinta now decides to take cricket to grassroots level.

The reigning Bollywood actress Preity Zinta has always been more than a pretty face with a dimpled smile. Known for her real-life bravery and philanthropism, the lady now wants to do something for that will especially please the cricket community. Preity Zinta, the owner of the Kings XI Punjab team of the Indian Premier League (IPL) wants to nourish talent for her team and the nation at large starting at the grassroots level. "My aim is to promote cricket at the grassroots level and to nurture new talent. I also want everyone involved to have fun," Preity said.

She plans to hold a cricket seminar and a Twenty20 tournament in Chandigarh and Mohali which will see teams from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir taking part. The tournament will be organized in conjunction with the state cricket associations and the Punjab Cricket Association in particular. The matches would be played in a league format among five teams - two from Punjab and one each from the other three states. A total of 11 matches will be played in the tournament.

Preity Zinta also made lot of news as she was seen cheering and huddling with her teammates. To this Zinta retorted pertly that she was only enjoying the game in true spirit. The rumor mills however fed on the alleged Zinta-Yuvraj Singh connection for quite some months.

Meanwhile, as the IPL second season draws in, the cricket scene is abuzz with developments. The auction for the second edition will take place on 6th February in Goa where all teams, including Punjab XI Kings will vie for the crème de la crème of the international cricket. Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff are in the maximum demand. Also sought are South African batsman Jean-Paul Duminy and England batsman Owais Shah. Since the cap on maximum number of overseas player has been increased to 10, all teams are interested in bringing the best talent in their side.

Preity Zinta in Fashion

January 21st, 2009

A bubbly Preity Zinta launched the three-day Gitanjali Luxury Style Fashion Festival last night alongside Neil Nitin Mukesh and Rituparna Sengupta. Preity was upbeat about India’s rapidly-growing fashion industry – now the world’s third biggest – despite the recession. "I wish I had time to see more designs," she said, "India is the land of gold, so I expect to see some good designs even in times of recession, go for gold."

Rumour has it that the king of romance, Yash Chopra, is hoping to take the helm again and has penned a romance that charts the ups and downs of two people deeply in love as they move through life into middle age. Yash is said to have picked out Preity and Aamir Khan as his stars. Preity is apparently keen but Aamir is said to need some more convincing.

Everyone knows that Preity has a smart head on her shoulders and has been pretty successful in handling her own business affairs. Now there are signs that she may be moving up a league as she will be attending the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Frames Conference in February which will bring together leading business and industrial figures from India and the west. Yash Chopra, Karan Johar, Bipasha Basu and Shakhar Kapur will also be there. Key potential partners include Ben Silverman of NBC Universal and Craig Mundie of Microsoft.

Preity sounds the gong

January 21st, 2009

“Let the party begin”, said the bubbly and pretty Preity Zinta along with Neil Nitin Mukesh as they hit the gong, kicking off the Gitanjali Luxury Style Fest 09 (GLSF 09) on Tuesday night.

Gitanjali group Chairman, Mehul Choksi and Massimo Carraro too joined in the gong-hitting fun and announced the fest in style.

This festival of luxury had the social circle buzzing and the party recieved a great attendance. Rituparna Sengupta, Narendra Kumar with Kadambari Lakhani, Nisha Jamwal high on indigo mood (don’t miss the cute floral clip), Bobby Kishan, Nikasha Tawadey, Rahul Sharma, Gayatri Khanna, Shatrujit Tikka singh, Parvez Damania, Krutika Desai, Vikram Raizada and Shaina NC amongst others were there. Pratichee was there too, sporting bright yellow high heels and had a rolicking time.

This party was the inaugural kick-off of the GLSF 09, which is a three-day fest and has the best of designers participating with their luxurious shows on the ramp.

January 17th, 2009

The small screen is getting bigger by the day, with the appearance of film stars on TV almost becoming a thumb of rule. The newest addition to the long-running list is Preity Zinta. The actor is all set to appear in a reality show.

Preity, with her massive popularity, was approached by several GECs (General Entertainment Channel) for her first stint on the small screen. However, things did not work out several times over for different reasons — either she was too tied up with her film assignments or she was not happy with the concept of the show and the money offered to her. Last year too she could have made her TV debut. But instead she went on to get involved with her Indian Premiere League (IPL) team, Kings XI Punjab.

Says a well placed source, “When the channel approached her, she made it very clear that she wants the show to be a little different compared to the shows currently running on the tube. Colors, who have been doing really well with film stars like Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty and Sushmita Sen, conveyed that it was indeed different.”

The source adds, “The reality show will be a talent hunt show. All the contestants will be performing with their respective talents, be it dancing, singing, stand up, comedy acts or anything else. The money offered to her is also quite hefty looking at the recession-hit market. Preity is quite excited about the concept and is all geared up for her TV debut.”

As the actress is busy with her film assignments, shooting for the show is yet to start. The show will be making its appearance on screen after March this year. We sent a text message to Preity, but she was not available for comment.

January 15th, 2009

The vivacious Preity Zinta is the latest Bollywood actor to move onto the small screen to substitute her tumbling career in a subtle manner.

The actor has joined a string of stars by giving her nod to appear on a reality talent hunt.

According to reports, when ‘Colors’ channel approached Preity, she made it very clear that she would only do something which was a little different in comparison to the current shows. Colors, which has done extremely well in the past by roping in numerous stars like Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty and Sushmita Sen, assured Preity that the concept was indeed different and the babe agreed.

The reality show will reportedly be a talent hunt where all the contestants will be performing with their respective talents, be it dancing, singing, stand-up, comedy acts or anything else.

Insiders suggest that pretty Preity was offered a hefty amount to be a part of the show. Going by the downslide that has overshadowed Zinta’s career of late, the chick has surely done the right thing by jumping onto the small screen.

Preity Zinta rings in New Year in Canada

Preity Zinta and beau Ness Wadia are away at Canada to celebrate the New Year. Preity Zinta has been working very hard throughout the year and wanted to go skiing this year with Ness and ring in the new year along with him. From there Preity will be flying to Los Angeles next.

The actress has been very busy this year and did not get time to holiday. The year for Preity began with her IPL matches plus shooting for films like Jahnu Barua’s Har Pall, Samir Karnik’s Heroes, Deepa Mehta’s Heaven On Earth and Rituparno Ghosh’s The Last Lear. Having been busy Preity did not get time to pay attention to herself. Hence the actress is now busy taking care of her fitness and has also lost the oodles of weight that she has gained. Preity now weighs 46 kgs and is all set to storm bollywood with the new image.

“Newness in work and life makes me feel charged up. While I try to reinvent myself, I get up with a fresh day, derive inspiration from the surroundings. Being energetic and nervous at the same time make me feel as if I have reinvented myself” says the actress. The actress has been approached by directors like Yash Chopra and Sanjay Leela Bhansali too and is looking forward to a great ahead this year. For now Preity is busy enjoying her skiing sessions with beau Ness Wadia