Preity Zinta ( born January 31, 1975) is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi cinemas of Bollywood, Telugu and English 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 recognised for her performance as a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna. Following this, she went on to display her range and portray a diversity of characters, subsequently credited with bringing a change in the image of Hindi film heroine.
Zinta received her first Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in Kal Ho Naa Ho in 2003. She played the lead female role in two consecutive top-grossing films in India—the science fiction Koi... Mil Gaya, which is 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 being an actress, 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
