Priyanka Chopra – Is she
up to the challenge
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
There is no looking back
for Priyanka! She has nine films in her kitty, many of them with ace directors
and opposite much sought after stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan
and Salman Khan!
The year 2004 had triggered
a Priyanka wave in Bollywood with the buzz being that she would prevail
as its queen one day. Yet by 2005 Priyanka has receded into the background,
though not obscurity; a fact that the actress attributes to her father's
illness which was traumatic for her and her family.
Midway into 2006 Priyanka's
fortunes are looking up. She has some good films to show her talent in,
something she must do because with just sex appeal she can become a Mallika
not the queen.
At this point Priyanka has
nine new films, some of which are worth writing home about. The challenge
before her is stark and the expectations of her directors and fans daunting.
She has stressed that she will not bare her ware, something that she did
in the past, and is confident that she has now been signed up for the talent
that filmmakers see within her, not the body within her clothes.
Three of her films: Deodhar
Gandhi, Ek Haseena Ek Deewana and Krrish, are in post production. Another
three are currently filming: God Tussi Great Ho, Don and Salaam E Ishq:
A Tribute to Love. Two new films that have been announced with Priyanka
Chopra are: Happy New Year and Qurbani. She will also be seen in Utthann
which is in its pre-production phase.
Rakesh Roshan's Koi Mil Gaya
sequel, Krrish needs no introduction. In it Priyanka plays the role of
a TV reporter based in Singapore. Knowing how fussy Rakesh Roshan is about
screen testing his actors for the roles in his films, Priyanka must have
measured up to get the lead. Indeed, the director had made his son Hrithik
Roshan take many screen tests before finalizing him for the male lead.
Hrithik was even trained at Hong Kong to perform his superman role in the
film.
The Krrish team has just
returned to India after completing filming in Singapore and Malaysia. Priyanka
admits that bagging Krrish has boosted her star stature. She was reported
to have said that "The trade looks at you differently if you're in a big
film. I must thank Rakesh Sir for it.” The film is due for release on June
23.
Priyanka is also part of
two Bollywood remakes, Farhan Akhtar's Don and Feroz Khan's Qurbani, both
Zeenat Aman films. Quite clearly, in Priyanka the industry sees a potential
Zeenat Aman. It has been reported that the remake of Don will have Zeenat
Aman's Roma character doing a lot of action and Priyanka has been trained
in martial arts so that she can perform her own stunts including riding
motorcycles. The film is being shot in Malaysia.
Qurbani will feature Fardeen
Khan opposite Priyanka, in the same role that Feroze Khan played in the
original Qurbani. Feroze Khan in turn will play Amzad Khan's character.
Qurbani of 1980 was a super
hit for many reasons not least of all the music and glamorous Zeenat in
a bikini. The film was ahead of its time and conceived to push the envelope.
It remains to be seen if Feroze Khan can once again do the same with the
remake. Zeenat Aman has pronounced her faith in Priyanka Chopra and believes
Priyanka will do justice to her roles in Don as well as Qurbani.
Ace directors of Bollywood
have invested their faith in Priyanka Chopra. Hopefully this is an opportunity
for her to make it to the top!
Rakesh Roshan alleges threat, sues film
financier
Mumbai, May 18, 2006
Noted film maker Rakesh
Roshan has sent a legal notice to film financier Prakash Jaju accusing
him of making threatening calls to him to settle his accounts with actress
Priyanka Chopra who appears in lead role in Roshan's forthcoming film "Krrish".
Roshan also asked Jaju to
withdraw his defamatory statement in a section of the media that 'Krrish'
was funded by illegal money.
Asking Jaju to apologise
or face defamation proceedings, Roshan, through his lawyer Dipesh Mehta,
said in the notice "your claims about the film's finances are completely
unfounded and this appears to be a vain attempt on your part to extort
money through unethical means".
"Your threats to stay the
release of film 'Krrish' are made with malafide intentions to defame the
Roshan family," the filmmaker alleged in the legal notice copies of which
have been forwarded to police commissioner and Anti-Extortion Cell.
Roshan told Jaju that although
he may be having dispute with actress Priyanka Chopra over alleged pending
accounts, he (Roshan) had nothing to do with his (Jaju's) personal disputes.
The filmmaker alleged he
had been receiving threats from Jaju in the form of text messages, phone
calls and letters and described these threats as "a failed attempt of extortion
and blackmail".
Roshan also asked Jaju to
refrain from issuing such alleged threats and warned to take legal action
against him if these were not stopped.
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