Preity Zinta chosen Best Actress at Chicago International Film Festival

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.

Heaven On Earth is a Movie with a Difference

The film titled Heaven On Earth is about the life of a bride from Punjab which changes in the course of just seven days. Deepa Mehta's Heaven on Earth is screened at the Toronto Film Festival on 6th September at the prestigious Elgin theatre.” I'm proud to have my film there in the 'Special Representation' section," says Deepa.

The film's leading lady Preity Zinta had joined Deepa in Toronto for the Festival screening. "And that's when Preity dubbed her portion of the film in Hindi", informs Deepa. The Punjabi film is being dubbed into Hindi as a two-language film on the insistence of the film's Indian distributor Ravi Chopra. However, Deepa insists that the Hindi version will have a very restricted screening. “The language of the film is Punjabi," she insists. The entire cast barring Preity is from Toronto.

Heaven On Earth to be screened at Toronto Film Festival

Deepa Mehta's Heaven On Earth is to be screened at the Toronto Film Festival on 6th September at the prestigious Elgin theatre.

"It's the venue of all serious-minded films at the Toronto Film Festival meant for a discerning audience. Last year, the Coen Brothers' No Country For Old Men premiered there. This year I'm proud to have my film there in the 'Special Representation' section," says Deepa.

The film's leading lady Preity Zinta joins Deepa in Toronto for the Festival screening. "And that's when Preity will dub her portion of the film in Hindi", informs Deepa. The Punjabi film is now being dubbed into Hindi as a two-language film on the insistence of the film's Indian distributor Ravi Chopra. However, Deepa insists that the Hindi version will have a very restricted screening. "The language of the film is Punjabi," she insists.

And now begins the struggle to find the right voices to dub the Punjabi characters. "The entire cast barring Preity is from Toronto. They can only speak English and Punjabi." Deepa arrives at Mumbai next week to supervise the Hindi dubbing of Heaven On Earth. "Preity will have to do her portions in Toronto after her world tour with the Bachchans and also attend the Toronto Festival screening."

Preity Zinta returns with an unusual story

After having some bitter experiences at IPL, Preity Zinta returns to Mumbai with Deepa Mehta’s upcoming flick, "Heaven on Earth".

But she has an unusual role to play in the movie. According to sources, her lead pair is not any handsome hero with 6-pack abs or fancy dance moves but-hold your breathe- a snake.

Apparently the story of the film goes like this. Preity plays “Chand”, an innocent girl who is harassed by her in- laws after she marries a Canadian NRI, “Rocky”.

To her rescue comes a snake, which lives in her back yard and saves her from her abusive husband and in-laws.

“Initially, when Preity read the script, she was very excited about her character, but when the shoot began, it became hard for the actress to get deep into the skin of the character”, says a source.