Preity Zinta reveals why she stepped away from films for eight years

Preity Zinta has opened up about her long break from Bollywood, revealing that she never missed being away from films because raising her family became her top priority.

The actor – who is set to make her big-screen comeback with Rajkumar Santoshi’s Batwara 1947 – reflected on her eight-year hiatus while speaking to the media ahead of the film’s release.

Asked whether returning to the camera felt like riding a bicycle after such a long gap, Preity admitted she was initially nervous.

“There were nerves,” she said, recalling that director Rajkumar Santoshi gave her one of the film’s most challenging scenes on her very first day of shooting.

She credited co-star Sunny Deol with helping her regain confidence on set.

“He tortured me on day one by putting the most difficult scene of the film on the first day,” she said with a laugh. “I was just looking at Sunny, wondering what to do. He was so kind and reassuring, telling me not to worry because the director loved retakes and even asking if I wanted something to eat.”

The actress said filming through the night and completing the demanding sequence helped her settle back into acting.

“We shot the whole night. After that, it kind of felt easier,” she added.

Preity Zinta’s last film release was Bhaiaji Superhit in 2018, which also starred Sunny Deol. Despite spending years away from the spotlight, the actress said she never longed to return to films.

Batwara 1947 features an ensemble cast including Shabana Azmi, Sunny Deol, Karan Deol, Ali Fazal, Abhimanyu Singh, Khushi Hajare and Kanikka Kapur.