After an eight-year break from the big screen, Preity Zinta is set to make her Bollywood comeback with Rajkumar Santoshi’s Batwara 1947, states NDTV.
Speaking at the film’s trailer launch in Mumbai, the actress reflected on her return to acting, revealing that motherhood—not films—had been her priority during her years away from the industry.
Preity, who moved to Los Angeles after marrying Gene Goodenough and is raising their four-year-old twins, Gia and Jai, said she never actively planned a comeback despite continuing to receive film offers.
“I didn’t miss it, to be honest. I don’t want to lie by saying I did. I was having a family. It was new to me, and I was focusing on my personal life. However big my career milestones might be, my greatest milestone was to have children and a family,” she said.
The actress revealed that it was Aamir Khan who convinced her to reconsider returning to films by introducing her to Batwara 1947, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.
Initially assuming the filmmaker had approached her for a comedy, Preity said she immediately agreed to the project after hearing the narration.
“I first thought it’d be some cool comedy. But once the narration ended, I told them right away that I’d do the film,” she recalled.
Returning to the set after nearly eight years was not without challenges.
Preity admitted she felt nervous, especially after Santoshi chose to begin filming with one of the movie’s most emotionally demanding scenes.
“There were a lot of nerves. I had always wanted to work with Raj ji, but we’d never worked together before,” she said.
She found reassurance in reuniting with Sunny Deol, her co-star in the film.
“I was looking at Sunny wondering how I’d do this. He told me, ‘Don’t worry, he likes retakes. Relax. Kuchh khayegi?’ I had completely frozen,” she said with a smile.
Preity also shared why Batwara 1947 held special significance for her.
Fascinated by history, she said she had always wanted to feature in a period drama but came away from the experience with a deeper appreciation of the hardships women faced during the Partition era.
She recalled that whenever she asked Santoshi how her character should approach a scene, he reminded her of the limited roles available to women in 1947.
“He’d tell me, ‘Preity, cook food.’ In another scene, ‘Clean the house.’ Then, ‘Do stitching.’ When I protested, he said, ‘This is 1947. Your career is your husband, your children and your home,'” she said.
The experience, she added, made her grateful for the choices women enjoy today.
“I have the freedom to work and marry where I want. Women back then had very little choice. Their lives revolved around family,” she said.
Looking ahead, Preity confirmed that she will next appear in Kunal Kemmu’s action-comedy Vibe.
However, she ruled out committing to long-format web series for now, saying she does not want to spend six to eight months away from her young children.
“My choice right now is to be with my children while they’re still very little,” she explained.
Preity also spoke about raising Gia and Jai in the United States while ensuring they remain connected to their Indian heritage.
“My children are half-Indian and half-American, but culturally they’re 100 per cent Indian because most values come from the mother. I want them to take the best values from both countries,” she said.
Batwara 1947, also starring Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol, Ali Fazal and Abhimanyu Singh, is scheduled to release in cinemas on 14 August.
