With season six of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in full swing, actor Preity Zinta has been making frequent appearances on TV. Not someone to shy away from expressing her emotions, the co-owner of the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) team can be spotted at match venues cheering her team and tweeting her excitement about her team’s progress. “Since I am not good with the bat, I like to go all out as a cheerleader,” says Preity Zinta, who is dividing her time promoting her upcoming film, Ishkq in Paris directed by Prem Raaj. For half a decade, Preity Zinta has kept her acting career on the backburner. “I took up T20 cricket as a challenge, to be one of the few women in a man’s field. There’s a lot of work that goes in and I have had my hands full,” she says, as she gears for what could be best described as her second innings in Bollywood. While she returns as the leading lady in Ishqk in Paris, the film also marks her debut as producer and co-writer. “Donning the hat of a producer was a new experience and again a challenging one,” admits the actor who stars opposite Rhehan Malliek (better remembered as Dr Rahul from the TV show Sanjivani). The film, shot primarily in Paris, also stars French actress Isabelle Adjani and is set to release on May 24. “It’s a contemporary story, a romcom that will appeal to all age groups,” says Preity Zinta. “Compared to my character in the film, I think I am much more sorted in my life. But having said that, I know art imitates life and I have been inspired by incidences from my life and my friends while writing the film.” Incidentally, it was a chance meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama that brought Preity Zinta back to films. “I am very glad I had that conversation with him. It was indeed insightful. I was upset over KXIP losing a game and he asked me to compete in my own playing field and use my craft to the best of my ability,” says Preity Zinta, who is looking forward to her comeback. “I am someone who has always been comfortable with the choices I have made – be it as an actor, an entrepreneur or now as a producer,” she adds.
