Preity Zinta Birthday Special: Did You Know the Actress Kickstarted Her Career With THIS Hit Commercial?

On Preity Zinta's 50th birthday, let's rewind to her first on-screen appearance – and no, it wasn’t the famous Liril commercial. It was actually a 'chocolate' ad that marked her debut!

Bollywood Team Latestly|
Preity Zinta Birthday Special: Did You Know the Actress Kickstarted Her Career With THIS Hit Commercial?
Preity Zinta (Photo Credits: Instagram)

Preity Zinta (born on January 31, 1975), the beloved Bollywood actress known for her dimpled smile and unforgettable roles, celebrates her 50th birthday today. With a career spanning nearly two decades, Preity has delivered memorable performances in films like Sangharsh (1999), Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Lakshya (2004) among others. Though her film debut was in Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se (1998), many may not know that Preity’s first appearance on screen was not the viral Liril ad but a Perk commercial. ‘Sun, Sand, You, Me’: Preity Zinta Is a Happy Soul As She Enjoys Outing With Hubby Gene Goodenough, Shares Video From Seaside Getaway – WATCH.

Preity Zinta Was the Perk Girl in 1996

Actress Preity Zinta once shared on her Instagram that her career began with a 1996 Perk chocolate commercial. “People always ask me how I started my career? It was with this perk commercial! So I can say confidently that my journey into entertainment started sweetly with a chocolate," she captioned the video. In the ad, Preity is seen on a hunger strike, secretly munching on chocolates. The ad quickly went viral due to its catchy music and fun lyrics, making Zinta a household name even before her film debut. Lahore 1947: Preity Zinta Starts Shooting for Rajkumar Santoshi’s Upcoming Film (View Pics).

Watch Preity Zinta’s Perk Ad Below:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz)

Preity Zinta Reveals How She Was Offered the Perk Ad

In an interview with TOI, Zinta shared the story behind how the Perk ad came to be. “My first ad for Perk chocolates happened purely by chance. I was at a friend’s birthday party where I met Kunal, an ad filmmaker. Two days later, he called me saying that he had written an ad script keeping me in mind. He forced me to come for auditions. Although I was apprehensive, I thought what harm could come from just auditioning - there would be five people there and why would anybody pick me? Only. instead of five, there were 50, and I got selected after saying just two lines with the chocolate in hand,” she told the portal.

Lastly, Preity Zinta has carved a niche in both cinema and sports. She currently owns the IPL team Kings XI Punjab, showcasing her entrepreneurial spirit. Married to Gene Goodenough, the couple is blessed with two children. After a hiatus from acting, Preity is all set to make her highly anticipated Bollywood comeback with Lahore 1947, where she will star alongside Sunny Deol.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 31, 2025 08:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

Preity Zinta Birthday Special: Did You Know the Actress Kickstarted Her Career With THIS Hit Commercial?
Preity Zinta (Photo Credits: Instagram)

Preity Zinta (born on January 31, 1975), the beloved Bollywood actress known for her dimpled smile and unforgettable roles, celebrates her 50th birthday today. With a career spanning nearly two decades, Preity has delivered memorable performances in films like Sangharsh (1999), Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Lakshya (2004) among others. Though her film debut was in Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se (1998), many may not know that Preity’s first appearance on screen was not the viral Liril ad but a Perk commercial. ‘Sun, Sand, You, Me’: Preity Zinta Is a Happy Soul As She Enjoys Outing With Hubby Gene Goodenough, Shares Video From Seaside Getaway – WATCH.

Preity Zinta Was the Perk Girl in 1996

Actress Preity Zinta once shared on her Instagram that her career began with a 1996 Perk chocolate commercial. “People always ask me how I started my career? It was with this perk commercial! So I can say confidently that my journey into entertainment started sweetly with a chocolate," she captioned the video. In the ad, Preity is seen on a hunger strike, secretly munching on chocolates. The ad quickly went viral due to its catchy music and fun lyrics, making Zinta a household name even before her film debut. Lahore 1947: Preity Zinta Starts Shooting for Rajkumar Santoshi’s Upcoming Film (View Pics).

Watch Preity Zinta’s Perk Ad Below:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz)

Preity Zinta Reveals How She Was Offered the Perk Ad

In an interview with TOI, Zinta shared the story behind how the Perk ad came to be. “My first ad for Perk chocolates happened purely by chance. I was at a friend’s birthday party where I met Kunal, an ad filmmaker. Two days later, he called me saying that he had written an ad script keeping me in mind. He forced me to come for auditions. Although I was apprehensive, I thought what harm could come from just auditioning - there would be five people there and why would anybody pick me? Only. instead of five, there were 50, and I got selected after saying just two lines with the chocolate in hand,” she told the portal.

Lastly, Preity Zinta has carved a niche in both cinema and sports. She currently owns the IPL team Kings XI Punjab, showcasing her entrepreneurial spirit. Married to Gene Goodenough, the couple is blessed with two children. After a hiatus from acting, Preity is all set to make her highly anticipated Bollywood comeback with Lahore 1947, where she will star alongside Sunny Deol.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 31, 2025 08:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

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View all
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