preity want a new face

doweshowbellyad=0;

Preity Zinta (TOI Photo) More pics

Actress Preity Zinta feels 2007 is her year and radical roles are what she wants to pursue.


This year Priety Zinta is enjoying her 180 degrees of change. "This year is very different for me. Rituda was just brilliant in casting me in the The Last Lear where I flaunt a Bengali look. I felt quite odd wearing such a big bindi and that completely changed my look. I wore jhumkas, saree and that's not the usual Priety you know," says she.

Evidently enjoying her new phase of diverse looks, she adds, "And now I want to have a new face. This is my year. I don't have anything to prove to anyone. I want to do things my heart wants to do. So, am going ahead with some radically different roles." It's after three years of shooting abroad, actress Priety Zinta is currently shooting for Har Pal in India and says she loves it here.

Only recently, Priety was reminded of the days of the Bharat Shah case, which happened a few years ago. Calling them 'scary days', Preity says that she just can't forget those days as she was petrified. She went on receive a bravery award for it and was amiably called, 'The only man in Bollywood' as most witnesses had turned hostile.

Since then a 'gutsy' feather has been added in her hat. So, do awards mean much to her? Priety says, "I am a public figure and if that can help a few causes in our country then why not? Also, I was never happy about being called the 'man' in Bollywood. Why is courage always related with a man? Why is gossip and weakness related with women? I love being a woman. Thank you very much. Please applaud me the way I am and not because I am the 'man'." Well said.

But it's not just movies that are upper most on her mind right now. The extrovert actor's heart beats for the many women-related causes she supports in India.

She says, "I want to do something substantial for things close to my heart. India is a young country and education is important. There are lots of young mothers who can be made aware about hygiene, HIV, etc. They could take care of a generation ahead, if they are properly educated. My biggest concern is female infanticide in the north of India. If this practice continues, the future generations are going to be devoid of women. We notice so many sexually-inclined crimes and they are on the rise because men to women proportion has been, over the years, de-stabilised badly."

That this is one subject close to Priety's heart is evident as she carries on, "When I was young, my dad had told me, 'In life, try everything once. But don't get pushed in it.' I realised that when I was young. But in life, we all make different choices. What is unfortunate is that in our country, women do not have choices. They are paraded from the kitchen to the bedroom. Even in Mumbai, perhaps opening of dance bars can bring down the crime rate of women-related crimes," she emphasises.

And even as she speaks, it starts to rain... In a jiffy, Priety's concerned expression changes to one of pure enjoyment. "The place where I stay looks so clean after it rains. One day, when it was raining, I took a longer drive back home from the airport because I was enthralled by the clean roads, and trees looking so much greener. It looked so beautiful..."