Preity Zinta’s Big Apple

She may have thousands of fans but Bollywood star Preity Zinta is a diehard fan of – New York City!

She comes in to New York so often that it’s like a second home to her. She says, “It is my favorite city in the world because a) it’s one city that never sleeps. b) Its a city that can swallow you and you can disappear in it, which is fantastic.  c) It’s so diverse and every time I come back so many things have changed about it.”

She adds, “Earlier when I used to come to New York, I used to feel a bit insecure sometimes, just walking anywhere. I think when Giuliani came in, he completely cleaned up New York.  Today you can walk on any street at any time of the night, it’s the only place in the world where I’ll take a cab once in a while and not feel nervous about it.”

Had she ever tried the subway? “No, not yet – but one day I will. But I love New York- I just love it.”

Preity has shot so many films here including ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’, KANK, and ‘Janeman’, that she knows certain streets like the back of her hand. She says, “I know every location, I know every corner of the street, I know sometimes how many steps you can walk in between four blocks because if you’re doing a steady cam shot, then you time yourself. We were on Madison Avenue, and every time we’d have gaps between shots, I would quickly run into Jimmy Choo or Cavali or Givenchy and try to do some shopping.”

So which are her favorite shopping haunts where she goes back again and again? The award goes to the Village, SoHo, Broadway, Bloomies, and Fifth Avenue.

And when it comes to restaurants, Preity Zinta is an enthusiastic foodie. “I like Nobu very much – I like going to Cipriani once in a while,” she says. “I love eating anywhere actually – there used to be this place called Lunchbox – they used to make the best sandwiches on this planet!”

Mayor Bloomberg should present her a key to the city or at least recruit her for the ‘I Love New York’ campaign!