Meet actress, who lost father at 13, was molested by boyfriend, threatened by underworld; later became first woman to...

Written By Manisha Chauhan | Updated: May 02, 2024, 12:17 PM IST

Preity Zinta

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, who is one of the most stunning and most talented actresses in Bollywood, still makes headlines with her beauty. But her journey from a middle-class family to becoming the owner of Punjab Kings has, however, never been easy. She had lost her father in a car accident when she was just 13 years old.

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, who is one of the most stunning and most talented actresses in Bollywood, still makes headlines with her beauty. But her journey from a middle-class family to becoming the owner of Punjab Kings has, however, never been easy. She had lost her father in a car accident when she was just 13 years old.

Today, we will talk about her life and the struggles that she faced

Early life:

Preity Zinta was born on 31st January 1975,  her father, Durganand Zinta, was an officer in the Indian Army. He died in a car accident when she was just 13. In the accident, her mother, Nilprabha, got severely injured and was bed-ridden for two years. This incident turned her life upside down, everything changed and she became mature rapidly.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz)

The actress has two brothers, Deepankar (who is an Indian Army officer), and Manish (who lives in California).

School life:

Zinta had a tomboyish childhood, she was disciplined because of her father's military background. She attended the Convent of Jesus and Mary boarding school in Shimla, where she found close friends despite feeling lonely. She was very good in academics, particularly in literature and sports like basketball. After schooling, she studied English at St. Bede's College in Shimla, followed by a graduate program in psychology, earning a postgraduate degree in criminal psychology. She ventured into modeling after her first TV commercial for Perk chocolates in 1996.

Other works

Despite being one of the top actresses, between 2004 and 2005, Preity wrote a series of columns for BBC News Online South Asia.

In 2008, Zinta, along with Ness Wadia, Mohit Burman, and others, acquired ownership rights for the Mohali-based Twenty20 cricket team of the Indian Premier League (IPL), naming it Kings XI Punjab (renamed Punjab Kings in 2021).

Until 2009, she was the only woman to own an IPL team and the league's youngest owner.

Controversies:

Zinta has faced controversies, notably her involvement as a witness in the Bharat Shah case in 2003, where she testified against the Indian mafia despite receiving extortion threats during the shooting of the film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. Unlike other witnesses who retracted their statements, Zinta stood firm, leading to her receiving witness protection and staying out of the public eye for two months. She was forced to stay away from the public eye for two months.

Personal life:

Zinta dated businessman Ness Wadia from February 2005 to May 2009, with their relationship often making headlines and sparking speculation about engagements or breakups. In 2014, she filed a complaint against Wadia, accusing him of molestation, threats, and abuse during an IPL match at Wankhede Stadium.

Now she is happily married to an American businessman Gene Goodenough.

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