"It was an honour to celebrate Diwali with him."
Preity Zinta took to social media to share images as she celebrated Diwali with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
They met in London on the auspicious occasion.
Preity’s colleagues – Akshay Kumar and his wife Twinkle Khanna – were also present.
Preity adorned her Instagram Story with a picture of her outside 10 Downing Street.
She also wrote: “A heartfelt thank you to Prime Minister @rishisunakmp & his gracious wife @akshatamurty_official for inviting me to be part of this year’s Diwali celebration at Downing Street.
“It was an honour to celebrate Diwali with him and the people from the Indian community in the UK.”
Preity dazzled in a gorgeous navy gown as she joined the celebrations.
Akshay Kumar also looked dapper in a cream suit while Twinkle Khanna oozed radiance in golden attire.
The three Bollywood celebrities smiled as they engaged in conversation with Rishi Sunak.
Akshay and Twinkle previously met Mr Sunak at an event in London in September 2023.
Preity Zinta spent her Diwali in 2023 largely in the UK.
She arrived in Birmingham to lead Diwali celebrations on November 4, 2023.
The following day, she attended the Birmingham Town Hall in an event open to the public.
She lit the divas on stage and engaged in a brief interview with the host.
When she was asked what advice she had for young people, Preity said:
“Ignore the social media, get a thick skin and work really, really hard.
“Because there are no shortcuts to hard work and always believe in yourself, back yourself.
“Just work really hard.
“It’s very boring, but it’s the classic way to go ahead in life because there are actually no shortcuts in life.”
The host also quizzed Preity about any highlights of her career.
The actress revealed: “Every day, however it is, if it’s a bad day, I know that a good day comes to an end just like a bad day does.
“So, good days come, bad days come.
“But the highlight, I would feel for me career-wise was when I did a film called Veer-Zaara.
“Because I got to work with Mr Yash Chopra, who was one of the greatest directors alive and my parents were fans of Mr Yash Chopra.”
Veer-Zaara was a massive hit for Preity when it released in 2004.
Preity married Gene Goodenough in 2016. They share two children through surrogacy – Jai and Gia.
Since her marriage, Preity Zinta has been settled in America.
On her return to the US, Preity posted a picture of her family on her Instagram profile.
She captioned: “Nothing like coming home after a hectic travel schedule.
“This year, Diwali took me across three continents and gave me unforgettable memories and experiences.
“The jet lag and exhaustion seemed to melt away when I sat down for Lakshmi Puja.
“I’d like to wish everyone out there loads of love, positivity and light always.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzqaaHvLzRv/
Meanwhile, Mr Sunak also took to Instagram to share a glimpse of his Diwali celebrations.
He posted a picture of him and his family lighting divas outside 10 Downing Street.
The Prime Minister wrote:
“A special moment for me to be celebrating Diwali with my family on the steps of No.10.”
“Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating here in the UK and around the world!”
Preity Zinta has won two Filmfare Awards in her career and is a successful entrepreneur.
Her last Bollywood release was Bhaiaji Superhit (2018).
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