After Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta is the second Indian actress to ever win an award at the Chicago International Film Festival. After winning accolades at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year, Preity's risk in taking on a role like Chand in Heaven on Earth has definitely payed off."I am so happy and excited. I'm going to have a blissfully debauched celebration this evening. It was my director Deepa Mehta who informed me on Saturday afternoon that I had won. Neither Deepa nor I could go to Chicago, I'm thrilled that I've done it without any lobbying," she says.
Director Deepa Mehta is equally thrilled and describes Preity as 'luminous' in the film. Mehta is currently promoting her film in Canada as the film released this past Friday to great reviews.
Adds Deepa Mehta, "It's amazing, isn't it? I'm so happy for Preity. She's luminous in Heaven On Earth...just like Shabana Azmi in Fire. Coincidentally, Shabana was the other actress to win the Best Actress Award at Chicago. I don't think any other Indian actress has won this award. I'm happy Preity is getting rave reviews for Heroes. I've seen bits of her performance in Heroes. And in fact it was that performance which reassured me that I had made the right choice for Heaven On Earth."
Preity, on the other hand, is finally seeing her hard work pay off. After playing similar candyfloss roles in several films, Preity opted for a change with films like The Last Lear, Heaven on Earth and Heroes. For Heroes, Preity has been praised immensely as well.
What really pleases Preity is that this international award will help sell Heaven On Earth to a global audience. "It is a film in Punjabi and I felt the language would limit the appeal. But trust Deepa to break the cultural barriers."
"I'm walking on sunshine. Do you know everyone discouraged me from doing Heaven On Earth and Heroes? But I wanted a change," she adds.
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