Preity Zinta on Heroes

Preity Zinta on Heroes





Preity Zinta on Heroes





Preity Zinta on Heroes
Preity Zinta has always been a favourite. From that fresh, bubbly face in Dil Chahta Hai to a tortured and scarred housewife in the upcoming Heaven on Earth, the actress has spanned the spectrum of talent to bring us groundbreaking characters.

We pay dimples a visit to find out more about her latest movie, Heroes.

Preity Zinta has always been a favourite. From that fresh, bubbly face in Dil Chahta Hai to a tortured and scarred housewife in the upcoming Heaven on Earth, the actress has spanned the spectrum of talent to bring us groundbreaking characters.

We pay dimples a visit to find out more about her latest movie, Heroes.
What is the name of your character in the film and can you oblige us by giving a sneak peak into the lives of Heroes?

The name of my character is Kuljeet Kaur, who is an Indian by every inch. And as far as the `sneak peak` into the film is concerned, all I can say is that the film is about the two boys played by Vatsal Seth and Sohail Khan. They belong to the proverbial `Generation Next` and also someone who have everything that anyone can ever want. They have the money to splurge, they have all the vices, and they have the time, and yes, the luxury to waste time too, which is pretty much the current breed of the upper level generation. Heroes is about their journey of meeting people from various backgrounds of life. It is their interaction with people from various backgrounds of life. Moreover, how they get inspired from them. It is then, that these normal people become `the heroes`.

The bottom line of the story is that one need not do anything extraordinary to become a hero. You can simply do the ordinary things and become a hero. But what matters the most is the `way` you do them. As Mariah Carey says in her famous song, `That a Hero lies in you`. This film is also something that acts as a bridge that connects the modern India with the real India.


So, Kuljeet Kaur is a woman of today, despite being a village belle.

Just a couple of days ago, I was telling my friends about Kuljeet. I said that if we were to play the game of `word Association` with Kuljeet Kaur along with Riya (Sen) and Amrita (Arora), if the word is `rain`, then, Riya and Amrita would say, `Oooh, rains, its very utterance sounds so romantic`. Whereas Kuljeet will say `Rains are my livelihood as it is a source of water to my fields`.

What is so amazing is the fact that all of them (Kuljeet, Riya and Amrita) are the same women from the same country but the gap between them is immensely big. In that way, one can easily say that Heroes is an attempt to bridge this gap in its own way. The only time that we associate ourselves with people like Kuljeet is when we see a documentary or when we read something that`s written about them. Heroes is also about a sneak peak into the lives of various people. It really makes me feel very happy to be a part of today`s Bollywood, which is offering space for the films that are highly commercial but yet, deal with the slice of life. Look at Taare Zameen Par, which was indeed a commercial movie. Heroes is another film which falls in the same category.
How much of your character in Heroes do you identify with?

Absolutely, despite the fact that I am extremely urban! But as Shahrukh says, `Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani`.

I come from an army family, with my father and brother both serving the nation. I am extremely patriotic towards my country and I would request each and every family to at least send one of their children to the army. That way, it would not be states and communities anymore, it will be about India. People in the Army give their lives for people they don`t even know. The only time when we remember them is when there is a war happening. Heroes is a look into lot of such things, without any kind of theory and lecture-baazi! It`s more of a practical presentation which, in other words, can also be termed as the mirror of the society! It`s not just me, but the whole nation will instantly identify with Kuljeet Kaur. As an actor, Heroes is a very new space for me and I am simply proud to be a part of it!
Rumors also have it that you have not used make up in the entire film. How much of it is true?

I have not used make-up, but only in some portions of the film, whereas in others, I have. But the one film in which I have just not done any make up is my next film Heaven On Earth. To me, Heaven On Earth and Heroes are the two faces of the same coin.
How was it working with Salman Khan?

Never before in my career, have I ever looked at my hero while working with him, stopped at the sets and said, `Oh, you look so good!`. I did that with Salman Khan when he came dressed up as a sardar. Salman, on his part, simply looked at me so endearingly and asked, `What are you talking about!`

With his beard and turban, he looked like a real jat Sikh! Trust me, he looks so very awesomely good in the film. As a matter of fact, I happened to go to London where a group of people came up to me and said, `Assi tho zaroor dekhengey jee Heroes, Salman Khan tho badda sona lagada hain jee.` (Dear, we will surely watch Heroes. Salman looks so good in it!).

Heroes was previously titled as Mera Bhaarat Mahaan. Can you please tell us as to which name do you prefer more and why?

I think both the titles work for me because the idea being both the titles suits the film so very accurately. That reminds me of an incident, which happened to me a few days ago when I saw a signboard which said Mera Bhaarat Mahaan. But when I came closer to the board, there were these small letters below it which said banana padega.

If I were to think of Heroes from a different context, I think that Mera Bharat Mahaan sounds like a name with a little bit of cynicism in it, while Heroes sounds more positive. That way, I would stick with Heroes!
Everybody knows that you hail from an army background. So, shooting for Heroes must have been nostalgic, since the film has got its share of army moments too.

Of course, the film is so close to my heart, since it has an association with the army. There was so much in the film with which I could connect with. The world today is so fast paced that we don`t have time to look into a soldiers` lives who die for an ideology called `India`! It`s also very sad to know that we today have lost all the ideologies. Forget about being state proud or country proud, we are not even city proud or street proud, which is what makes my heart bleed. The only pride that we achieve is in being `home proud`. The reason why Heroes works for me is that it`s been made without bashing any other country. I am glad that maturity is being exhibited now in our cinema and the so-called `jhingo-ism` is totally gone.
Tell us something about the music of the film and your favourite track.

The music of the film is simply exceptional. Every track of the film has got its own charm. If I were to choose my favourite track from the album, it will definitely be `Mannata. I love this track immensely, so much so that even the instrumental version of the song brings tears to my eyes. Today`s love knows no sacrifice. It`s like fast food, easy come, and easy go. In times like today, where people have zero tolerance levels, Mannata is the way to go! It will simply touch every human`s heart!
Can you cite three reasons for the common man to watch Heroes?

Firstly, it`s a fantastic film. Secondly, I am in it. And lastly, it`s going to be worth every minute of it