Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Preity Zinta Returns to Screen with Partition Drama Batwara 1947
Preity Zinta is a famous movie actress who took a break from acting for almost eight years.
She says she did not miss acting because she was busy raising her twin children and spending time with her family.
She is coming back in a new movie called Batwara 1947, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and backed by Aamir Khan's production house.
The movie is set in 1947, during a very hard time called the Partition, when there was violence as the country was divided.
In the story, she plays a Muslim woman whose husband hides a Hindu woman in their home in the city of Lahore.
The director gave her the hardest, most emotional scene to film on the very first day, and she was so nervous that she was shaking.
Her co-star Sunny Deol comforted her and told her to relax and have something to eat.
During filming, the director had her cook, clean, and sew in scenes to show that women in 1947 had almost no choices in life.
Zinta said this made her appreciate all the freedom women have today.
The movie comes out on August 14.
Preity Zinta returns to the big screen after nearly eight years with the Partition drama Batwara 1947, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and backed by Aamir Khan's production house.
Zinta said she never missed acting because she was focused on raising her twins Gia and Jai and enjoying family life.
Director Santoshi began filming with the most emotionally demanding scene, leaving Zinta nervous and shaking; co-star Sunny Deol reassured her on set.
She plays a Muslim woman whose husband, played by Sunny Deol, shelters a Hindu woman in their Lahore home amid the violence of the 1947 Partition.
The role made her appreciate women's freedom today after Santoshi told her that in 1947 a woman's only career was her husband, children, and home; she next stars in Kunal Kemmu's Vibe.
- Who
- Actor Preity Zinta, director Rajkumar Santoshi, co-star Sunny Deol, and producer Aamir Khan
- What
- Zinta's return to acting after nearly eight years in the Partition drama Batwara 1947, including a nerve-wracking first day on set and how the role changed her view of women's freedom
- When
- August 2026 media interaction and trailer launch in Mumbai; the film is scheduled for release on August 14
- Where
- Mumbai for the trailer launch; the film's story takes place in Lahore during the 1947 Partition
- Why
- She was persuaded by Aamir Khan's call and the chance to work with Rajkumar Santoshi, whom she had long wanted to collaborate with, and she identified with the film's family themes
- Film
- Batwara 1947
- Director
- Rajkumar Santoshi
- Producer
- Aamir Khan's Production House
- Lead Actors
- Preity Zinta and Sunny Deol
- Setting
- Lahore during the 1947 Partition
- Music
- AR Rahman
- Release Date
- August 14
- Acting Hiatus
- Nearly eight years
