Abbas-Mustan Recall Meeting Preity Zinta For Soldier: 'She Blabbered A Lot, Didn’t Give Us A Chance'

Preity Zinta may not be on the big screen much these days, but she’s still a favourite on social media. Recent photos of her in traditional outfits at the IPL got a lot of attention. Known for her roles in movies like Dil Se and Salaam Namaste, she’s also loved for her bubbly personality off-screen. Abbas and Mustan Burmawalla, who worked with her in Soldier, remembered how she was so chatty during their first meeting that they couldn’t get a word in.

They were the first to give her a role in their film with Bobby Deol. Abbas, during a chat with Radio Nasha, said, “Producer Ramesh Taurani arranged for a meeting with Preity who was initially supposed to make her film debut with Ta Ra Rum Pum, helmed by Shekhar Kapoor. However, the film’s shoot hadn’t begun.”

Mustan remembered meeting the actor at Taurani’s office, where she asked them if they liked her. “Us zamaane mein auditions hote nahin the (Back in the day, there were no auditions). She sat in front of us, spoke for 15 minutes straight and left. In those 15 minutes, she blabbered a lot and didn’t give us a chance to utter a single word. We instantly liked her and thought that she was perfect for the role. She was chirpy and natural,” said Mustan.

Back in 2020, as Soldier clocked 22 years, Preity had penned a sweet note. “Remembering Soldier my super Hot & super Cool movie. So many things to be grateful for. My warm clothes for starters. It was freezing cold & so windy when we were shooting. On the other side poor Bobby was feeling so cold and shivering I’m also grateful that my first feature as a lead had an unbelievable soundtrack Thank you @RameshTaurani #AbbasMustan and the entire cast and crew for the fun we had in Australia, New Zealand & Rajasthan. I love you @iambobbydeol ❤️ You are the bestest,” she had written.

The duo said Taurani signed her for three films: Soldier, Kya Kehna, and another one. Although Preity debuted in Mani Ratnam’s 1998 film, Dil Se…, she was the lead in Soldier, which also came out that year.