Archive · 2 Oct 2026
Preity Zinta Explains Legal Notices Over Nickname Confusion
Preity Zinta said a joke about her name became a widespread misunderstanding.
Bobby Deol started calling her Pritam Singh while they were working together.
Other people, including Rani Mukerji, also began using the nickname.
Some online listings then said that Pritam Singh had changed her name to Preity Zinta.
Preity said this was wrong because Preity Zinta is her real name.
She sent legal notices to Google, Wikipedia and others to correct the information.
She also talked about taking a break from acting to care for her family.
She has since returned to films while continuing to raise her twins.
Preity Zinta said she sent legal notices to Google, Wikipedia and others over claims that her real name was Pritam Singh.
The confusion began after Bobby Deol playfully nicknamed her Pritam Singh while they worked together on Soldier.
Preity said Bobby Deol still uses the nickname, which was also adopted by Rani Mukerji.
She stepped away from acting to focus on homemaking and raising her twins with Gene Goodenough.
Preity recently returned to acting and discussed balancing family responsibilities with her professional life.
- Who
- Actor Preity Zinta, with Bobby Deol connected to the nickname that caused the confusion.
- What
- Preity Zinta sent legal notices seeking corrections to claims that her original name was Pritam Singh.
- When
- The notices were discussed in a recent interview; the nickname began during the making of Soldier.
- Where
- The disputed information appeared on Google, Wikipedia and other platforms; Preity discussed it in an interaction with Bombay Times.
- Why
- A playful nickname was reportedly repeated and presented online as Preity Zinta’s former name.
- Actor
- Preity Zinta
- Nickname
- Pritam Singh
- Nickname origin
- Bobby Deol began using it during the making of Soldier.
- Legal notices
- Sent to Google, Wikipedia and others to clarify her real name.
- Marriage
- Preity married American financial analyst Gene Goodenough in Los Angeles in 2016.
- Children
- The couple had twins, Jai Zinta Goodenough and Gia Zinta Goodenough, via surrogacy in 2021.
- Recent work
- Preity returned to acting and recently appeared in Vibe.