At the fag end of the year, Priyanka Chopra has emerged as the numero uno actress in Bollywood.
The former Miss World features on the list of the top ten celebrities in the country, after her recent back-to-back hits Fashion and Dostana. Here’s what she told Chennai Times when she was in the city for a Tag Heuer campaign.
After your recent hits Fashion and Dostana, the media is suddenly going ga-ga over you. Bollywood pundits have anointed you as the new number one at the box office. How do you feel about it?
Firstly, I don’t believe in numbers. This ‘numero uno’ position is all media created and the industry treats you well if you churn out hits. Believe me, I have worked with the same passion in a few of my earlier films that were not as successful as my recent ones. I think my time is good and God has been kind to me.
Are you spiritual?
I’m a very spiritual person who believes in destiny and faith. I’m an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. After my recent hits, the first thing I did was to visit a temple in Mumbai, a sort of thanksgiving.
How closely do you identify with the Meghana Mathur character in Fashion as you have also been a super model?
To be honest, I could not relate to Megna as it is not me. After winning the Miss World title, thanks to God and my parents, I had my feet on the ground despite the huge success. My modelling days lasted hardly six months before I ventured into movies. The only similarity between Meghana and Priyanka are that they come from small towns.
Many consider your performance in Fashion to be your best till date. You have proved yourself to be an actress of substance...
Thank you. I have been receiving a lot of accolades for my performance as Megna Mathur and all credit goes to Madhur Bhandarkar who made it possible. I did a lot of homework for the character by going to fashion shows and interacting with models and those in the fashion industry. I have been getting a lot of appreciation even from Chennai for Fashion and Dostana.
Tell us about Dostana and Neha Melwani, the current flavour in Bollywood.
Dostana will remain one of my all time favourites. I had a ball doing the film in Miami.
Many of my relatives live in US. So it was one big picnic for me, my brother and parents. And as the only girl on the sets, it was great fun working in a film where Abhishek and John pretend to be gays.
Your make-up and styling in the film have become the envy of other actresses in the industry. How did you look so good in the film?
I would like to give full credit to Micky Contractor for his make-up, hair and styling, Manish Malhotra for his clothes, director Tarun Mansukhani for conceiving my character and Karan Johar for giving me the film. And of course, without Ayananka Bose’s camera and lighting, I would not have looked smashing.
Do you regret your debut film Tamizhan in Kollywood?
I have no regrets because, like I said earlier, it is all fate. I would like to add that it was not the best of the films to make a debut for a young girl who was hardly 20 and did not know the industry. Now, I feel it was a learning experience.
But producers here still claim that they are trying to rope you in for their projects with big money. Please comment...
I will only go by the script for any film I do as money is not part of the criteria when it comes to doing movies. Yes, they have been offering me ridiculous amounts but it is not my cup of tea at the moment.
Shah Rukh Khan says you are the “sexiest Indian actress”. What do you say?
I think it is a very nice compliment, coming from one of the greatest actors in the country. We had a blast working together in Don, and now, I’m doing a special appearance in his Billoo Barber.
On your forthcoming films...
I’m doing Kaminey with Shahid Kapoor directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. In the film, I play a Maharashtrian college girl and it’s an action comedy. Then, there is Ashutosh Gowarikar’s romantic comedy What’s your Rashee?, with Harman Baweja.
this news published by timesofindia.indiatimes.com
