“The Indian Premier League is my focus right now. For the last two years, I’ve been promising to do films and shows, but I haven’t been able to, because of my involvement with my cricket team. But after this season gets over, I’m going to take on films and get started on my TV show,” she says. Buzz is that Preity Zinta has been offered three shows, of which two are talk shows – one with cricketers, Beyond The Seam, and the other with her film frat colleagues, The Preity Zinta Show.

When asked about the speculations, she says, “I’ve heard rumours about me doing three TV series, two in the US and one here. The ones in the US are not true because I haven’t taken on anything there. It was news to me when I was told about TV shows in the US, after I returned from there.” When prodded, she admits that she will start shooting for the cricket-based talk show, Beyond The Seam, soon after the IPL gets over “I’ve had film offers last year but I couldn’t take them on because of the matches. Even Beyond The Seam has been on hold for one year because there was no space in my engagement diary. We will start the show as soon as I’m done with IPL. It’s a cricket-based show and I’m excited. The format has been chalked out,” she asserts. Reportedly, the show is expected to be produced by Synergy Adlabs under the supervision of Siddharth Basu. Neither Basu nor Zinta confirmed this, but sources have it that Basu is going the whole hog on this show, which is going to have a homegrown format. Colors is expected to take the show on air. Sources have it that the officials from the channel and the production house had met her in Los Angeles last summer to finalise the deal. Zinta refuses to comment. She says, “I don’t know all the details at this stage. So, it’s too early to discuss anything now.” Apparently, the dimpled actress has negotiated a fee of Rs 10 crore to host 20 episodes. An industry source says, “She had negotiated a big fee when she agreed to do the show. The fee is actually between Rs 10 crore and Rs 12 crore for the 20-episode series in season one. If it succeeds, it will be extended to the next season.” Earlier on, Synergy Adlabs had also approached Zinta to judge India’s Got Talent and were offering her Rs 5 crore for the three-month-long season. She had refused owing to her commitment to the IPL last year.

She says, ” I had chunky film offers also, which I refused because I had to focus on my team which I hold so closely. This year, I’ll be relaxed and I can focus on new projects. I have a few tempting offers in my kitty but it’s too early announce anything now.”

~IANS
~Photocredit: Getty Images