After stepping away from lead roles for over a decade, Preity Zinta is preparing for a fresh innings in Bollywood. Her last full-fledged theatrical release was Ishkq In Paris (2013), followed by brief appearances in Happy Ending and Welcome To New York. She was later seen in Bhaiaji Superhit (2018), a film that had originally been slated for release in 2012. By then, however, the actor had already relocated to the US and taken a break from the film industry.In 2016, Preity married Gene Goodenough, and the couple welcomed twins via surrogacy in 2021. Now, she is set to return to the big screen with Batwara 1947, releasing this August, followed by Vibe, co-starring Kunal Kemmu, which is expected to arrive in theatres in September. While she is excited about acting again, she admits she never really longed to return to work.“I would be lying if I say I missed the camera. I was enjoying having a family, bringing up my kids and focusing on my personal life. However big my career milestones may be, my greatest milestone was to have children and a family. And that’s why I could identify so much with this film (Batwara 1947). Even though it’s 2026, my number priority is still my family,” she says.As a mother to twins—a son and a daughter—Preity makes it clear that she has no plans to dive back into acting on a full-time basis. She also reveals that long-format streaming projects are not on her radar, despite many of her peers embracing the OTT space.“I’m not sure about doing a series to be honest because they take too much time and I’ve little children,” she says.The actor credits her husband for making her selective return to films possible by supporting her work commitments in India, even if it means being apart for weeks.“I’m grateful that I’ve a very cool husband who’s okay with me going off for two months and coming back, especially since we’ve kids at home. So, yes, anything that excites me, I would love to do for sure. But series ka toh pata nahi,” the Veer Zaara and Krrish actor remarks.Explaining why web series are not a practical option at this stage of her life, she adds, “A series will require me to work for six-eight months. What’s the point if I’m not there for my children? A lot of people work because they don’t have the choice. But when you’ve the choice, you’ll also have to make the right choice. My choice right now would be – at least when my kids are still very little – to not be too away from them.”Speaking about raising her children in a multicultural environment, Preity says she hopes they inherit the strongest values from both India and the US, while acknowledging the significant role she plays in shaping their upbringing.“My kids are half-Indian and half-American. But culturally, they’re one hundred percent Indian. Most values come from India. It’s just the way it is. Mothers are more involved, especially jab bachche chhote hote hai. But I would like my kids to imbibe the best values from both countries. That’s my hope.”She also reflects on how becoming a parent has transformed her outlook on life and taught her that parenting comes with realities no amount of preparation can fully predict.“Beyond that, there’s no hard and fast rule and you can’t control anything. All we can do is try and do our best as a parent. Before I had kids, I had a million opinions on life post motherhood. But now, I’ve realised that there are limitations in terms of what you can do,” adds Preity, who will reunite with Sunny Deol for the fourth time in Batwara 1947.
