Preity Zinta: Preity Zinta shot to fame as the refreshing, cool, wet model in the Liril ad. She also modeled for Perk and her dimpled smile won the hearts of million. Preity never thought she would be an actress. Kapoor saw her in the Liril ad and liked her so much that her instantly decided that the next film he would announce would have her in the lead. However 'Tara Rum Pum' never got made and is still pending since the director got very busy with his other projects.

Birthday: January 31, 1975 in Shimla.

Debut Film: Mani Ratnam's Dil Se (1998).

Major Impact: Kya Kehna (2000).

Successful Films: Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Koi Mil Gaya (2003), Veer Zaara (2004), Salaam Namaste (2005), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
(2006).

International Film: Heaven on Earth.

Awards: Won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for Kal Ho Naa Ho.

Forthcoming Film: Har Pall.

Facts we didn't know:

Graduated in Psychology

Turned down the lead in Marigold (2004).

Is a major fan of the hit TV series The Simpsons.

Her father, Durganand Zinta was an officer in the Indian Army. Durganand Zinta died when Preity was thirteen, in a car accident in which her mother, Nilprabha Zinta was also involved. Her mother was bedridden because of this incident.

Has written three columns for BBC South Asia.

She narrowly escaped death twice in late 2004, once after an explosion at a Temptation concert in Colombo, and later in the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Listed #41 by UK magazine Eastern Eye one of "Asia's Sexiest Women" (Sept/ 2006). -Sampurn Media