Preity Zinta Movies

Award-winning filmmaker Deepa Mehta (Bollywood/Hollywood, Water) writes and directs this magic realist drama detailing the ill fated arranged marriage between a vibrant young Indian girl and her temperamental Canadian husband. Chand (Preita Zinta) is about to be married, and in order to celebrate her family throws an elaborate party. The celebrations are decidedly short-lived, however, when upon arriving in Toronto and meeting her new husband Rocky (Vansh Bhardwaj), Chand immediately senses something off-putting about her new spouse and his family. Rocky's mother is nosy and domineering, the children of the household seem prone to malicious pranks, and the new husband himself is unusually cold and distant towards his optimistic young bride. Increasingly desperate yet unable to contact her family back home, Chand confides her fears in sympathetic fellow factory worker Rosa, who offers a most unusual solution to the dejected bride's dilemma - a potion with the power to make whomever drinks it fall hopelessly and helplessly in love with her. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Love and dreams follow two starry-eyed actors across three decades and two incarnations in this splashy Hindi musical. It's the early Seventies, and Om Prakash Makhija (Shah Rukh Khan) is a young would-be actor who has been playing bit parts in Bollywood musicals while looking for his big break. Om's ambition is to become a film star and win the heart of beautiful screen siren Shantipriya (Deepika Padukone), and his pal Pappu (Shreyas Talpade) and his mother Bela (Kirron Kher) both encourage him not to give up on his dreams. One day, Om meets Shantipriya on a movie set, and he feels as if destiny is finally smiling on him, but when he overhears her having an argument with studio chief Mukesh Mehra (Arjun Rampal), Om senses things are not as they should be. Before Om can decide what to make of his misgivings, the studio burns to the ground, claiming the lives of Om and Shantipriya. Thirty years later, a bit of Om's spirit seems to live on in Om Kapoor (also played by Shah Rukh Khan) a popular film actor with a large ego and a fear of flame who was born the day the old studio burned down. Despite his fame, Om is lonely, at least until he meets Sandhya (also played by Deepika Padukone), a shy but eager would-be actress looking for her chance to become a star. Om Shanti Om was directed and co-written by Farah Khan, who was a top choreographer in the Indian film industry before moving up to the director's chair, and features guest spots from a number of Bollywood's greatest stars, a few appearing in the form of digital recreations taken from films of the Seventies. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Indian movie icon Amitabh Bachchan commands the screen as an aging actor lured out of retirement by an ambitious young auteur in this drama that marks the veteran actor's first-ever English-speaking film role. Harish Misra (Bachchan) believes he has already done everything possible in the world of film. Vain, passionate, and terminally strong-willed, the enormously talented retiree has abandoned the world of cinema and retreated from the modern world to the comforts of his lavish study. Despite his determination never to return to the screen, however, Harish is eventually persuaded to return to film by ambitious young director Siddharth (Arjun Rampal). But once on set, Harish simply can't relate to the younger cast members, and scoffs at the artifice of contemporary cinema. Upon completing his punishing performance, Harish falls into a coma. Though worrisome co-star Shabnam (Preity Zinta) clearly has a genuine sense of concern for the gravely ill Harish, director Siddharth remains inexplicably distant through the whole ordeal. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Bollywood bad-boy Salman Khan stars in screenwriter/director Shirish Kunder's romantic tale of two men who share an intense love the same woman, but just can't seem to find the words to express their heartfelt feelings. Suhaan (Khan) is the kind of college stud that every woman on campus longs for; a wannabe rock star whose smooth way with words can melt hearts, he longs to be with the beautiful Piya (Preity Zinta). But Suhaan isn't the only man on campus with eyes for the Piya, because loveable dreamer Agastya (Akshay Kumar) also harbors deep feelings for the girl. Though the fun-loving trio is virtually inseparable on campus, neither the ultra-smooth Suhaan or the lovably nerdy Agastya can muster the courage to make their love known to the unassuming object of their affections. Ten years after college graduation, Suhaan has become a famous singer and Agastya a highly-respected astronaut; yet despite their success in life, both men's for Agastya still goes unspoken. When fate brings the long-separated trio together once again on an idyllic afternoon, fond memories rapidly resurface and an undying love soon underscores the happy reunion. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A star-crossed love affair has political as well as emotional repercussions in this Bollywood romantic drama. Veer Pratap Singh (Shah Rukh Khan) is an officer and pilot in the Indian Air Force who one day meets a beautiful Pakistani heiress, Zaara Hayaat Khan (Preity Zinta), as she travels to a small Indian village to scatter the ashes of one of her family's loyal servants. Veer has family in the village, and while most Indians show no affection for Pakistanis, his aunt and uncle are willing to take Zaara in for the night. It isn't long before Veer finds himself falling for her; however, Veer learns that Zaara is engaged to another man, Raza (Manoj Bajpai), a cruel and humorless Pakistani. A friend of Zaara contacts Veer and tells him that Zaara wants out of her engagement and has strong feelings for him, but when he comes to her rescue, matters take a turn for the worse and Veer winds up in jail. Twenty years later, Veer is still behind bars, and finds that his case is being given a new trial, but while he has a new chance at freedom, he discovers his lawyer will be going up against a state attorney who has never lost a case. Veer-Zaara was one of the first Indian blockbusters to open in India, the United States, and the United Kingdom at the same time. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A scientist (director Rakesh Roshan) invents a computer to send sounds into outer space. Using the sound "Aum," he makes contact with an alien life form, but his fellow scientists laugh at his claims. Despondent, he drives home with his wife (Rekha). A spaceship interrupts their journey, and causes the excited Sanjay to crash. He is killed and his unborn child is injured in the accident. Rohit (Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan) grows up brain-damaged. He's stuck in a class with much younger kids and longs to advance academically, but he continually flunks. On top of that, he and his young friends are frequently bullied by Raj (Rajat Bedi) and his gang of thugs. Then Nisha (Preity Zinta), a beautiful young woman, moves to town. After a couple of comic misunderstandings, Nisha takes an interest in Rohit. Rohit asks Nisha to teach him computers, and they dig up his father's old device, inadvertently sending another message into space. Soon, another ship arrives, and this time, a funny little blue alien is left behind. Rohit takes the little one in, and soon finds himself being magically healed. Suddenly, he can see without his glasses, and soon he develops a quick mind and superhuman strength. Not only that -- he can dance. So he and his friends call the alien "Jadoo." Raj grows jealous of all the time Nisha is spending with Rohit. He finds that now Rohit is strong enough to defend himself. But the authorities are searching for Jadoo, and Rohit is determined to keep his little friend safe, no matter what the cost. Director Rakesh Roshan last directed his son, Hrithik, in Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai, the film that made him a star. The big-budget Koi...Mil Gaya was promoted as the first science fiction film to come out of Bollywood. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

As Dil Chahta Hai opens, Siddarth, known as Sid (Akshaye Khanna) is racing to the hospital due to an unexplained emergency. There, he is reunited with his old friend, Sameer (Saif Ali Khan). Sameer calls the third member of the trio, Akash (Bombay superstar Aamir Khan from Lagaan), who tells him he's not going to join them at the hospital, due to an unresolved dispute between him and Sid. The film then flashes back to earlier, happier days, to show us what came between the three close friends. Sid was the studious, serious one, with a hidden artistic side, while Sameer foolishly let himself be ruled by the woman in his life. Akash could never limit himself to one woman. He was a playboy who claimed he didn't believe in love. Sameer found himself unexpectedly falling for Pooji (Sonali Kulkarni of Mission Kashmir), the young woman his parents have tried to arrange for him to marry. Akash's father grew concerned about his son's immaturity, and sent Akash to Australia to work for his company. There, he ran into Shalini (Preity Zinta, who also starred in Mission Kashmir), a girl who once rejected him in a Bombay nightclub. She's engaged to be married to Rohit (Ayub Khan), but as the two spend time together, Akash falls hard for Shalini. For his part, Sid met a beautiful divorcee, Tara (Dimple Kapadia), but his friends and family weren't ready to accept their relationship. Eventually, we work our way back to the present, and find out what's become of the three friends and their romantic entanglements. Dil Chahta Hai, a huge hit in India, marked the feature debut of writer-director Farhan Akhtar. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Mani Rathnam, who has proven with films like Bombay (1995) and Iruvar (1998) that it was possible in India to make quality films that could also be box-office hits, chose the 50th anniversary celebrations of Indian Independence as the backdrop for this film about the clash between love and ideology. Amar Kant Varma is the son of a deceased army officer and he lives with his family in Delhi. As a program executive for All India Radio, he travels all over the country to interview common people to mark the anniversary. On one of these trips, he meets a mysterious girl named Meghna at a train station, but loses sight of her before he can get to know her. He sees her again in another town and reminds her of their meeting. Meghna doesn't seem to recognize him. Although she doesn't really want him, he follows her all the way to Ladakh. After two days together, she leaves him to join a group of insurgents on a mission. Amar is heart-broken and marries a girl of his mother's choice. In the meantime, Meghna is chosen to be the main person on a suicide mission targeting the Republic Day Parade. She finds Amar and their destinies entwine. Director Ratnam uses the two characters as symbols for two distinct parts of India at odds with each other -- the big states on the one hand, and the border areas with minority populations on the other. The latter are angry at the central government for having neglected them, which have resulted in a recession. Dil Se, a good example of the energy and imagination of the "Bollywood" movies (referring to Bombay, the "Hollywood of India") from one of the masters of the genre was screened as part of the International Forum of Young Cinema at the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide