Priyanka Chopra was told by Suneel Darshan ‘tum ek din Rekha banogi’; Andaaz producer reveals getting shocked by her ‘unconventional’ beauty

Priyanka Chopra was told by Suneel Darshan ‘tum ek din Rekha banogi’; Andaaz producer reveals getting shocked by her ‘unconventional’ beauty

As a lifestyle expert with a keen eye for spotting talent, I must say that Suneel Darshan’s intuition was truly remarkable when he cast Priyanka Chopra in Andaaz back in 2003. Little did he know that the unconventional beauty he saw walking into his office would go on to become a global phenomenon, predicted to be the next Rekha.


Priyanka Chopra, who is at present filming for Citadel: Season 2, initially kicked off her acting journey in Indian films. In 2003, the actress debuted in Bollywood with “The Hero: Love Story of a Spy.” Later that year, she appeared alongside Akshay Kumar and Lara Dutta in Andaaz. The film’s producer, Suneel Darshan, was taken aback by her ‘unusual attractiveness.’ He reminisced about foreseeing her rise to fame, comparing it to the success of veteran actress Rekha.

In his recent chat on Friday Talkies’ podcast, producer Suneel Darshan recounted his initial encounter with Priyanka Chopra, which took place at his office when discussing her role in the film, Andaaz.

Regarding Priyanka’s casting in “Andaaz”, Darshan mentioned that her role was smaller compared to Lara Dutta’s. On numerous occasions, many actresses would audition for the film. However, one day, his secretary escorted Priyanka Chopra into the room for an audition.

The Andaaz producer mentioned that he was taken aback when he saw Priyanka, as she didn’t fit typical beauty standards. During his interactions with PeeCee, however, he recognized her strong voice and striking eyes. Impressed by her personality, Darshan eventually chose to cast Priyanka for the role.

After a mere 15 minutes, I made up my mind to cast Priyanka fully in the film. On that very day, I told her that someday she would embody the role of Rekha, and this is even documented in her book titled “Unfinished”.

In the 2003 film “Andaaz,” directed by Raj Kanwar, Akshay Kumar took on the lead character, Flight Lieutenant Raj Malhotra. He shared the screen with newcomers Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta at that time. Lara portrayed Kajal, a childhood friend of Akshay’s character, while Priyanka played Jiya Singhania in this romantic-musical movie.

Currently, Priyanka has several upcoming projects: the second season of the American spy series Citadel, as well as two Hollywood films titled The Bluff and Heads of State. In Bollywood, she is widely recognized for her roles in movies such as Barfi, Bajirao Mastani, Aitraaz, Fashion, Mary Kom, among others.

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2024-10-22 15:53