Preity Zinta addresses Batwara 1947's box office stumble: 'I give my 1000 per cent'

Preity Zinta's return to the big screen didn't go quite as planned at the box office, and the actor is at peace with that.Batwara 1947, which reunited her with Sunny Deol and Shabana Azmi in a starry ensemble, struggled to find an audience despite the buzz around her comeback. Speaking to Mid-day, Zinta reflected on the film's underwhelming run and made clear where she draws the line on what's within her control.She said she remains proud of the work and described the experience as an overwhelming one, adding that she always tempers her expectations going in, once she's on set, her only job is to give everything she has to the role.That philosophy, she explained, comes down to a belief in karam, you put in the work, and the outcome is out of your hands. As she put it, "You can't control what happens." About the filmDirected by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Aamir Khan, Batwara 1947 is adapted from Asghar Wajahat's play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai. Set during the 1947 Partition, it follows Sikandar Mirza (Sunny Deol) and his family as they resettle in a Lahore haveli already home to Durgavati (Shabana Azmi), a woman waiting for her son to return. Their standoff over the property takes a darker turn when a local political figure, played by Abhimanyu Singh, exploits the dispute along communal lines.The film also features Karan Deol, Ali Fazal, Khushi Hajare, Kanikka Kapur and Isha Sandhir. Made on a reported budget of ₹150 crore, it opened to mixed-to-negative reviews and has grossed ₹38.80 crore net domestically so far.What's nextZinta's next release is the spy comedy Vibe, directed by Kunal Kemmu, co-starring Kemmu and Sparsh Srivastava as two ordinary friends who stumble into a terrorist plot and find themselves unlikely national saviors. Zinta plays Madam H, the operative who pulls them into the mission. The film hits theaters September 18.Lakshana is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist with over a decade of experience. She covers a wide range of stories—from community and health to mental health and inspiring people features.