“I am here to do business”

At an age when actresses only think about getting married, she ends up buying a Cricket team! While her contemporaries die to be a part of big banner films, she dares to sacrifice her ‘commercial’ image only to satisfy her creative hunger as an actor! In days to come Preity will not only be seen portraying off-beat roles but will also be seen in a new avatar ... that of a Business woman! IPL matches will soon kick off and she will battle it out with the likes of SRK and Anil Ambani on the Cricket field! On woman’s day, Renuka Vyavahare met up the multi-faceted Preity Zinta only to know what drives her to break the glass ceiling each time!

You juggle films, social causes and now even business! You must be a ‘strong’ woman!
Don’t know about strong but I do have aspirations. I do things that inspire me. I always wanted to open a sports school in Himachal (‘only coz I have land there’) since it bothers me to know that we don’t have a single gold medal in our country which boasts a population of billions! I myself have played Basketball, Athletics all my childhood and know that sports are not just a past time.

You’ve been honing your business skills lately!
I didn’t know anything about films until Dil Se happened and today after nine years, here I am! Likewise, I know nothing about business but I have a sincere intent as far as my work ethic is concerned. Also I am working on it. I go to conferences, go first and leave last! Everybody looks at me and smiles but my logic is if other people have past experiences in business, so what, I’ll make my own experiences.

As a woman, you’ve always had an opinion on everything!
It’s my upbringing. I was brought up by my father who always said, “If you have a brain, use it!” I have always had an opinion and will have in future as well. I strongly believe in Lord Krishna’s saying ‘Doing wrong is a sin but letting someone do wrong is a greater sin’! I am not the type who can sit in the corner and watch things going wrong. I follow my heart.

You are fearlessly frank in real life but people expect you to be bubby all the time! Hassle?
If I am quiet and doing my things people think that I am arrogant! I have stopped caring about what people think of me as you cannot please the entire world! I do love talking but I am a normal person. There are days when my face says ‘stay away’! At times I do get faltered and look up and say ‘God help’!

Does your friendship with your male co-stars bring in any insecurity in your personal relationship?
Absolutely not! I love my co-stars but my lines are clearly drawn. The biggest Casanovas are my friends but I’d rather be the girl you cannot have than the girl you can have. If a man comes on to me I’ll slap him and call him a rapist! As a woman, it’s your prerogative as to how you want to be treated. At these Society parties some women hang around with someone else’s husbands! Why can’t women have a little substance to themselves? Why cant women support each other?

Is that the reason why men find you intimidating?
I believe in huge amount of personal freedom. If anybody tells me to do this and that, I’ll ask them to mind their own business as I have my strong boundaries of right and wrong. Having said that I am not a bra-burning feminist either! I don’t think strong men feel intimidated by me.

One message you’d like to give this woman’s day...
My parents supported me and see where I am today. Female foeticide has to stop. If given a chance, women can succeed in any field also I want to salute all the courageous women of the world. I’ve met a woman who fought with a leopard to save her child! Women should stand for what his right in order to progress.

Renuka Vyavahare, Indiatimes Movies