Imagine a filmmaker, who considers you his ‘adopted daughter’, wants to gift you a property worth Rs 600 crore. And you refuse. Not many have the moral fibre to do this. But then, the same person who did this also stood up to dreaded underworld don Chhota Shakeel when nobody else in Bollywood dared to. This is the story of the actress who won awards for her bravery and not just her performances.
The actress who stood up to Chhota Shakeel
The year was 2001. The underworld still played an important role in Bollywood. Film producer Bharat Shah was arrested for allegedly helping gangster Chhota Shakeel invest in his film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. In the case that followed, Preity Zinta, one of the stars of the film, testified in court that she did receive calls from the gang and was even asked to pay up Rs 50 lakh as extortion. The actress did not pay heed to the demand. The Union Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani advised Preity to take armed security but the actress refused again. For her actions, the actress was given the Godfrey Philips National Bravery Award.
When Preity Zinta rfused Rs 600-crore wealth
Filmmaker Shandaar Amrohi, the son of Kamal Amrohi, considered Preity like his daughter. He wanted to bequeath his ancestral property worth Rs 600 crore to the actress but Preity refused. The filmmaker died in 2011 and Preity was one of the few at his wake.
Preity Zinta’s career in Bollywood
Preity debuted in films with a supporting role opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Dil Se and shot to fame with successes like Kya Kehna, Soldier, and Sangharsh in the late-90s. In the early 2000s, the actress was considered among the top stars of Hindi films alongside Aishwarya Rai, Kareena Kapoor, and Rani Mukerji. She gave hits like Kal Ho Naa Ho, Koi Mil Gaya, Salaam Namaste, and many others. After 2008, she reduced her acting appearance, largely doing only cameos, and focussed on her role as team owner in the Indian Premier League. She was last seen in a cameo in Bhaiaji Superhit and is now set to make her comeback with Lahore 1947. Preity is married to Gene Goodenough and they have two children.
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