Preity Zinta stood like a rock: Celina Jaitley recalls painful return to India
Celina Jaitley said that when she returned to India amid marital crisis, actress Preity Zinta stood by her. The actor said that the temple visit as well as the support helped him rebuild and reconnect with his roots.
Actress Celina Jaitley has said that when Preity Zinta returned to India amid a troubled marriage and found herself without a home, she “stood like a rock”. In an emotional conversation with India Today’s Gaurav Sawant, Jaitley talked about staying in a hotel for 10 days, seeking a court order to enter his house and relying on a small group of friends for support.
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Jaitley also said that Zinta helped her reconnect with her faith at a time when she was feeling deeply broken. Speaking about that phase, he said that a visit to Dharamshala and the Maa Baglamukhi temple in Ujjain made him realize that returning to his Sanatan Dharma and his roots was his “true calling”.
Recalling her return to India, Jaitley said, “When I came back to India, I did not have my own house. I stayed for 10 days in a hotel owned by a friend, whom I had asked to give me an exemption. I stayed until I could go to the court and get an injunction to enter my house. Since my parents and my brother were not there, I found solace in having 1-2 friends stay with me.”
She then thanked the many people who stood by her, including her directors, producers and her father’s colleagues. She said, “Above all, Preity Zinta. That woman stood like a rock. She is the only person who understood how heartbroken I was. Thanks to her, I visited Dharamshala and Maa Baglamukhi Temple in Ujjain. When I went to Ujjain, I realized that returning to my Sanatan Dharma and my roots is my true calling.”
Jaitley is ready to make a comeback in Hindi films Sister Nivedita. During the conversation, he spoke at length not only about the film but also about the personal losses that have shaped his life. He reflected on losing his parents and one of his twin sons, and also reflected on the pain of his brother being in prison.
Speaking candidly about how she dealt with those tragedies, Jaitley said, “It’s like I’m living a script that I didn’t sign up for.” Fighting back tears, she added, “Many times I wake up in the middle of the night and think I can’t do this anymore, I can’t do this. This has to end now. I can’t take it anymore.” She added, “And then I get up again, collect myself, accept the truth and start again.” She said that despite the difficulties, she never wants to give up.
The actor also opened up about emotional abuse in his marriage, losing his first son, and the death of his parents, along with how he rebuilt his life through grief.