Preity Zinta stood like a rock: Celina Jaitly recalls painful comeback to India
Celina Jaitly said actor Preity Zinta stood by her when she returned to India amid a marital crisis. The actor said that support, along with temple visits, helped her rebuild and reconnect with her roots.
Actor Celina Jaitly has said Preity Zinta “stood like a rock” when she returned to India amid a troubled marriage and found herself without a home of her own. In an emotional conversation with India Today’s Gaurav Sawant, Jaitly spoke about staying in a hotel for 10 days, seeking a court order to enter her own house, and leaning on a small circle of friends for support.
Jaitly also said Zinta helped her reconnect with her faith at a time when she felt deeply broken. Speaking about that phase, she said visits to the Maa Baglamukhi temple in Dharamsala and Ujjain helped her realise that returning to her Sanatana dharma and her roots was her “true calling”.
Recalling her return to India, Jaitly said, “When I came back to India, I didn't have my own house. I stayed in a hotel for 10 days in a hotel owned by a friend whom I asked to give me a discount. I stayed till I could go to court and get an injunction to enter my own house. With no parents and my brother not there, I found comfort in 1-2 friends remaining.”
She then thanked several people who stood by her, including her director, producer and her father’s colleagues. “Above all, Preity Zinta. That woman stood like a rock. She is the only one who understood how broken I was. Thanks to her, I went to Maa Baglamukhi temple in Dharamsala and Ujjain. When I went to Ujjain, I realised returning to my Sanatana dharma and my roots is my true calling,” she said.
Jaitly is set to make her Hindi film comeback with Sister Nivedita. During the conversation, she spoke at length not only about the film, but also about the personal losses that have shaped her life. She reflected on losing her parents and one of her twin sons, and also spoke about the pain of her brother remaining in prison.
Opening up about how she has dealt with those tragedies, Jaitly said, “It’s like I am living in a script that I did not sign up for.” Fighting back tears, she added, “There are times when I wake up in the middle of the night and I think that I can’t go on anymore, that I can’t do this. This has to end now. I can’t take it anymore.” She continued, “And then I wake up again, gather myself, accept the truth and start all over again.” She said that despite the hardships, she has never wanted to give up.
The actor also spoke candidly about emotional abuse in her marriage, the loss of her first son and the deaths of her parents, while describing how she rebuilt her life through grief.
Actor Celina Jaitly has said Preity Zinta “stood like a rock” when she returned to India amid a troubled marriage and found herself without a home of her own. In an emotional conversation with India Today’s Gaurav Sawant, Jaitly spoke about staying in a hotel for 10 days, seeking a court order to enter her own house, and leaning on a small circle of friends for support.
Jaitly also said Zinta helped her reconnect with her faith at a time when she felt deeply broken. Speaking about that phase, she said visits to the Maa Baglamukhi temple in Dharamsala and Ujjain helped her realise that returning to her Sanatana dharma and her roots was her “true calling”.
Recalling her return to India, Jaitly said, “When I came back to India, I didn't have my own house. I stayed in a hotel for 10 days in a hotel owned by a friend whom I asked to give me a discount. I stayed till I could go to court and get an injunction to enter my own house. With no parents and my brother not there, I found comfort in 1-2 friends remaining.”
She then thanked several people who stood by her, including her director, producer and her father’s colleagues. “Above all, Preity Zinta. That woman stood like a rock. She is the only one who understood how broken I was. Thanks to her, I went to Maa Baglamukhi temple in Dharamsala and Ujjain. When I went to Ujjain, I realised returning to my Sanatana dharma and my roots is my true calling,” she said.
Jaitly is set to make her Hindi film comeback with Sister Nivedita. During the conversation, she spoke at length not only about the film, but also about the personal losses that have shaped her life. She reflected on losing her parents and one of her twin sons, and also spoke about the pain of her brother remaining in prison.
Opening up about how she has dealt with those tragedies, Jaitly said, “It’s like I am living in a script that I did not sign up for.” Fighting back tears, she added, “There are times when I wake up in the middle of the night and I think that I can’t go on anymore, that I can’t do this. This has to end now. I can’t take it anymore.” She continued, “And then I wake up again, gather myself, accept the truth and start all over again.” She said that despite the hardships, she has never wanted to give up.
The actor also spoke candidly about emotional abuse in her marriage, the loss of her first son and the deaths of her parents, while describing how she rebuilt her life through grief.
