Even
as
Preity
Zinta's
character
in
Samir
Karnik's
Heroes
garners
rave
reviews
it
comes
as
a
surprise
to
know
that
the
role
of
the
brave
and
dignified
war
widow
is
modelled
on
Preity's
mother,
Neelu
Zinta.
Not
only
that,
once
Preity
signed
on,
she
worked
for
days
on
her
character,
language
and
body
language
with
her
director
Karnik.
Says
Preity,
"The
minute
I
read
the
script
I
knew
I
wanted
to
do
it.
You've
no
idea
how
many
people
discouraged
me
from
doing
Heroes.
'Arrey
why
do
you
want
to
play
the
mother
of
a
growing
child?;
Tujhko
log
buddhi
kahenge''.
But
I
was
adamant.
I
fell
in
love
with
my
character.
She
reminded
me
of
my
mother.
So
many
people
have
told
me
I
look
like
her,
especially
in
my
shaadi
ka
joda.''
In
Heroes,
Preity
plays
a
rustic
Punjabi
woman
thrown
into
a
crisis.
''It
was
easy
for
me
to
identify
with
the
Punjabi
woman
in
Heroes
whose
husband
has
died
in
the
war.
I
come
from
an
army
background
and
I
know
what
it
is
like
to
lose
someone
at
the
battlefront."
Preity
unabashedly
modelled
the
war
widow's
role
in
Heroes
on
her
own
mother.
''I
always
thought
I
looked
like
my
father.
But
as
I
grow
older,
I
think
I've
begun
to
resemble
my
mom.
The
other
Punjabi
woman
I
play
in
Heaven
On
Earth
was
much
harder
to
play.
I
had
no
reference
points
except
my
director
who
held
my
hand
as
I
suffered
with
my
character
for
all
the
physical
abuse
she
has
to
face."