Priyanka Chopra once revealed that she was rejected by a director for a blockbuster. Know the film name inside.
Published: August 10, 2025 10:31 AM IST
In the glitzy and glamorous world of Bollywood, many stars come and go, but there are rarely any actors who make a name for themselves on the big screen and leave an everlasting mark. But before being so successful and building that stardom, they go through their own sets of struggles and challenges that hardly take the limelight. One such example of this is Priyanka Chopra, who delivered a role so iconic that its magic remains unmatched even today.
The film that we are talking about is none other than Anurag Basu’s Barfi. Released in 2012, this film was a box office hit and earned massive praise for its heartwarming storyline and powerful performance. But behind the portrayal of Jhilmil’s grace and simplicity, it was Priyanka Chopra who played the role of the autistic girl with so much conviction that she left everyone stunned.
When Anurag Basu Rejected Priyanka Chopra for Barfi
Recently, Priyanka shared a heartfelt post, taking fans behind the scenes of how Jhilmil came to life. She wrote, “In Jan 2009, while filming ‘Anjaana Anjaani’ in New York with Ranbir Kapoor, he mentioned his next, Barfi!” With Anurag Basu, a filmmaker I admired. So when Sir offered me Jhilmil, I was thrilled. We met at my Mumbai home; I’d just returned from an event, dressed to the nines. He took one look and said he couldn’t imagine me as Jhilmil. I understood. I didn’t want to mess it up either. We agreed to workshop for 5 days.”
When Priyanka Chopra abused Anurag Basu
Priyanka revealed that Anurag also had doubts about whether she could play the part. She further added, “We immersed ourselves in research, reading, watching videos, meeting children on the autism spectrum, and doing exercises in his Aram Nagar office. One day, he asked me to hurl vile Hindi expletives at him. Mortified, I still tried; it was hilarious, liberating, and pulled me out of my comfort zone. After more ‘Basu-style’ drills, Jhilmil was born.”
Priyanka revealed that most of Jhilmil’s scenes were improvised. “Sir shared an idea, and we ran with it.” This shoot also held deep personal meaning for her, as it was one of the last times her father visited her on set.
Calling Barfi! one of her “most treasured films,” Priyanka praised Ravi Varman’s cinematography as “pure poetry,” Ileana D’Cruz’s elegance as Shruti, and Ranbir Kapoor’s star quality. About Basu, she wrote, “His storytelling is magic.”
Barfi took over two years to be completed. The film had several breaks in between, so the team wasn’t sure how it would churn out, but what the aftermath was was totally unexpected. “They did beyond our dreams. The love for Jhilmil has stayed with me ever since,” she wrote. Ending her post on a reflective note, Priyanka asked, “On this nostalgic Saturday, I felt like sharing. What are you reminiscing about these days?”
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