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For much of the 2000s, Preity Zinta was among Bollywood’s most recognisable leading ladies, headlining films such as Kal Ho Naa Ho, Veer-Zaara and Salaam Namaste. But over the years, the actor gradually moved away from the spotlight, particularly after marriage and motherhood. Her last release was Bhaiaji Superhit in 2018. Now, after eight years, she is preparing to return with Rajkumar Santoshi’s Batwara 1947, alongside Sunny Deol.

Interestingly, Zinta says she did not spend those years longing to return to the camera. “I didn’t miss it, to be honest,” she said, explaining that becoming a mother and focusing on her family became her priority. For Zinta, having children was a bigger personal milestone than anything she had achieved professionally.

Preity Zinta was nervous on her first day back

Returning to a film set after such a long break, however, came with its own set of challenges. Zinta admitted that she was nervous when filming began, especially after Santoshi deliberately gave her one of the film’s most difficult scenes on her first day. She found reassurance in Sunny Deol, who had worked with her previously and became something of a “compass” during those initial hours.

After shooting through the night and getting past the demanding opening scene, Zinta said the process gradually became easier.

How motherhood shaped her Batwara 1947 role

In Batwara 1947, Zinta plays a Muslim woman whose husband, played by Sunny Deol, shelters a Hindu woman in their Lahore home during the aftermath of Partition. The actor says motherhood helped her connect with the character’s fierce focus on family, particularly in a story set against the upheaval of 1947.