Priyanka Chopra was originally set to play the lead role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2013 magnum opus Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, but she was eventually replaced by Deepika Padukone. In a recent interview to Lehren Retro, Priyanka’s mother, Madhu Chopra, recalled the day her daughter made the decision to step away from the lead role and instead agreed to perform a special song in the film.
“I don’t remember much from that time. I just know that she went to his (Bhansali’s) office next door when I was with my patients in my clinic. When she came back, she said, ‘I am only doing a song in Ram-Leela.’ I asked her, ‘What happened?’ She said, ‘I think that’s better,” Madhu Chopra shared in an interview with Lehren Retro.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for being a perfectionist and a demanding filmmaker, and Madhu Chopra acknowledged this in her statements. She mentioned that her daughter did not harbour any resentment for the decision and that Priyanka and Bhansali remained on good terms.
“She might have taken a well-thought-out decision. They might have had some lovely discussions that led her to agree to something like this because they are still friends,” she added.
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Despite missing out on Ram-Leela, Priyanka Chopra collaborated with Bhansali in Bajirao Mastani (2015), where she played Kashibai, the first wife of Ranveer Singh’s Bajirao. The role was widely appreciated, and Priyanka’s performance received critical acclaim. Speaking about her daughter’s work with Bhansali in Bajirao Mastani, Madhu recalled how challenging the role was.
“Kashibai was very hard because there were tight shots, and it was all on the face. The expressions were everything. Sanjay [Leela] Bhansali is not an easy director, and to keep him pleased in the sense that he is satisfied with the performance… that was the target. That was something she was very focused on. There were no distractions; she would not even talk inside her van during that time,” Madhu Chopra revealed.
She also dismissed any speculation that Priyanka had any grudge against Bhansali for replacing her in Ram-Leela. Instead, she pointed out that her daughter had a professional approach and agreed to work with the filmmaker again.
“She doesn’t keep that revenge attitude. She did the film (Mary Kom) because Sanjay asked her to. Omung (Kumar) was the director, and she stayed with Mary Kom for a while to observe everything,” Madhu said.
Ram-Leela eventually became a major success, marking the first collaboration between Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. Their on-screen chemistry was widely praised, and the film established Deepika as one of Bollywood’s top actresses. Priyanka, on the other hand, went on to star in successful films like Mary Kom, Dil Dhadakne Do, and Bajirao Mastani, eventually making a successful transition to Hollywood.
Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra is gearing up for her next Hollywood projects, including the action-comedy Heads of State and the action-thriller The Bluff.
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