Preity: Back to business

It's been a year since she broke up with boyfriend Ness Wadia. Since then, Preity Zinta may have been missing from Bollywood, but she's charted new territory with a course at Harvard Business School.

Speaking at length about that experience Preity says, "I took the plunge in December and went back to school, to Harvard School. Believe you me, it was the most enriching experience of my life. I wanted to learn about business management so that I could be a better entrepreneur."

The actress attended classes at Harvard for three weeks, every day from 9am to 11pm. "When I joined films, I never went to an acting school. Then last year, I did a two-day workshop with Anupam Kher. It enriched me so much. I wondered why I never went to acting school. Now that I am an entrepreneur, I didn't want to look back and ask the same question one day ... I had to go to the best business school in the world. When I filled out the admission form for Harvard, my hands were shaking. I had tried earlier and couldn't get in," adds Preity.

When she got selected, she was ecstatic. "I got in on sheer merit and not because I was a star in Bollywood. When I went there, I was so nervous. I wasn't even computer savvy. I was scared I wouldn't understand a lot of what was said in the classes. But I didn't get scared to put up my hand in class and ask questions. No one knew me there."

Soon, of course, word spread among the Asians in the campus that Preity Zinta was in their midst. "The Indians in the faculty recognised me eventually, but they were discreet. I saw a work-out dance class for cardio exercises and when I went there, they were dancing to Bollywood songs including 'Where's the party tonight'. I learnt negotiations and mergers and acquisitions." recollects the actress.

Preity is now ready to apply her new-found business acumen to her various ventures, and set to dabble in film production. "As far as my role in the IPL cricket team is concerned, it's settled now. I don't need to give it that much time. My focus is now back to movies. I'm on the verge of signing new films."

Speaking about her changed equation with Ness Wadia, as purely business partners, Preity shakes her head, "We are no longer seeing each other. We are colleagues now. If ever I am in a situation, I am sure he would watch my back, as I would watch his. But will people let go of this fascination with the equation between me and Ness? It's been one year since we broke up.