Not every comeback goes exactly as planned and Preity Zinta seems to have made peace with that after her return to the screen didn’t quite pay off at the box office. Marking her comeback after an eight-year gap with Sunny Deol starrer Batwara 1947, the actress has now opened up about the film’s underwhelming theatrical performance, choosing to view the setback with a sense of calm acceptance rather than disappointment.
Talking to a leading publication, Preity Zinta shared that she feels immense pride in the film and found the entire experience deeply moving. She explained that as an actor, she constantly tries to manage her own expectations and that once she commits to a project, she gives it her complete effort. She spoke about her personal belief in the idea of doing one’s duty and leaving the outcome to fate, essentially saying that while results are beyond anyone’s control, she always pours everything she has into her work and trusts the rest to sort itself out.
The period drama, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, features an ensemble cast including Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol and Ali Fazal, among others. Interestingly, Preity Zinta isn’t the only one from the cast to address the film’s box office struggles — Shabana Azmi recently shared her own take on the matter as well.
Speaking in an interview, she raised questions about audiences’ reluctance to accept Sunny Deol in a Muslim role, pointing to past examples in Hindi cinema where actors like Amitabh Bachchan played similar characters and were widely embraced without controversy. She wondered aloud whether a deliberate atmosphere of division might be influencing how people responded to the film today. She expressed genuine surprise at just how badly the film had performed commercially, noting that many people personally told her how much they loved the film and its message, even as ticket sales told a very different story, with those who did watch it in theatres reportedly leaving with mixed reactions.
Meanwhile, Preity Zinta has already moved on to her next project, currently busy promoting her upcoming film Vibe. The movie also stars Kunal Kemmu, Sparsh Shrivastava, Vanshika Dhir, Yashpal Sharma and Dinesh Lal Yadav and is scheduled to release in theatres on September 18, where it will go head-to-head at the box office with Kareena Kapoor Khan’s Daayra.
Have you watched Batwara 1947? If yes, what is your review of the movie?
