Although she has a drool-worthy body and looks that could make men go weak in their knees, Priyanka Chopra has proved time and again that she’s much more than good looks. Be it pulling off some hard-core action in films like ‘Don 2’ or portraying the journey of a model in ‘Fashion’ — which even won her the National Award — Priyanka has proved her credentials as one of the top actresses in the industry.
She’s now set to essay three different characters in different eras in her next, Kunal Kohli’s ‘Teri Meri Kahani’. “Just three characters?” was her first reaction when she heard the narration. Not surprising given she played 12 characters with conviction in ‘What's Your Raashee??’. “Actually, this seems like three different films. The writing was so clear that it made our work easy as actors,” she says of ‘Teri Meri Kahani’.
“My favourite character in the film would be that of Javed. If I find a guy like Javed in real life, I’d never let him go. His ‘shayari’ can make you fall for him. My favourite among my characters would be Ruksaar. She’s a superstar, yet she’s so simple. And I think I can relate to her,” she informs us. We wonder if ‘shayari’ impresses her in real life as well. “I love poetry. And any person with good words can be impressive. But, of course, actions are also important; only words are not enough,” she says with an enigmatic smile.
Priyanka claims the character in ‘Teri Meri Kahani’ that is set in the 1960s has been inspired by yesteryear actresses. She confesses, “I took inspiration from Asha Parekhji and Saira Banu ma’am. My look in the film is based on both these actresses. And I’m so thankful to them. They were both very helpful.”
PC claims shooting for the film was a memorable experience. She remembers with a laugh, “We were on the sets, shooting for the song ‘Allah Jaane’, and we were rehearsing and then suddenly there was a role-reversal. Kunal was romancing me and Shahid was behind the camera, directing. That was a lot of fun.”
‘Teri Meri Kahani’ is to be promoted at the IIFA Awards ceremony this year. And Priyanka will also be performing at the awards function. She is set to pay tribute to veteran actress Rekha. “Rekhaji is someone I love and adore. So it’s an honour for me to be able to pay a tribute to her, since she’ll be receiving the lifetime achievement award,” she says. Is Priyanka morphing into ‘The Tribute Queen’, given her recent performances at award functions? “Yes, that’s what I thought when the people from IIFA approached me. And I didn’t know if I should do it. But then it was a special request from them, and I couldn’t refuse,” she says.
At the IIFA ceremony, Priyanka will also be performing with her co-star Shahid Kapoor. “We’ve had a great time making the film, and I’ve known him for many years now and it’s always good to be with him,” she says about her co-star.
Priyanka acknowledges the absence of big names such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and the Bachchans at the ceremony. “It’s not practically possible for everyone from the industry to be present, because many would be busy shooting. So, obviously, they’ll be missed. But we’ll try and make it very entertaining,” Priyanka promises.