In a revealing interview, film director Guddu Dhanoa, cousin of Bollywood veteran Dharmendra and known for his work with global star and Miss World 2000 Priyanka Chopra on films like ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Kismat’, shared a pivotal story from Chopra’s early career.
He recounted how Chopra’s debut film, originally titled ‘Gandhi’ and later renamed ‘Big Brother’, almost saw her ousted due to initial struggles with acting. Despite early criticism from Mumbai about her performance, Dhanoa and producer Sunny Deol decided to persist with Chopra after reviewing the footage themselves.
Dhanoa recalled, “After we shot for 15-20 days, we started getting reports from Mumbai that ‘She looks very bad, she is a very bad actor, please watch the rushes’.
So, I said, ‘Okay, we will watch the rushes.’ We saw the rushes, whatever we had shot there, however much we had shot, and after watching the rushes, Sunny Deol and I, both of us decided that we will work with this girl and complete the film with this girl only. And I think we liked her.”
He emphasized their decision was based on her promising screen presence and potential as an actor. Reflecting on her growth since those early days, Dhanoa praised Chopra’s evolution both personally and professionally, citing her subsequent success in Bollywood.
He concluded with admiration for her current stature, highlighting how she has become a respected figure in the industry.
