No 'Agneepath' shoot, so Priyanka prepares for 'Barfee'

Mumbai, March 23 (IANS) Priyanka Chopra was supposed to start shooting with Hrithik Roshan for 'Agneepath', but at the last moment her shooting was cancelled. Rather than let her unused time go waste, she immediately got hold of her 'Barfee' director Anurag Basu and began preparation for her part of the mentally challenged girl in the film.

'Yes, Priyanka's shooting for 'Agneepath' got cancelled. But it was only because the shooting with the other actors that was going on from earlier went on longer than expected. Priyanka immediately got in touch with Anurag Basu and took the time to prepare for her part,' said Priyanka's business manager.

Being produced by Karan Johar, 'Agneepath' is the remake of director Mukul Anand's 1990 film, which had Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. Hrithik and Priyanka starrer is being directed by Karan Malhotra.

A source close to the actress said: 'The last thing Priyanka's choc-a-block schedules can withstand are last-minute cancellations. Priyanka is very particular about her commitments and expects the same level of commitment from others. Any cancellation puts her off. And this was her first stint of 'Agneepath'. She was really looking forward to starting the shoot. But what to do? She took the cancellation in her stride.'

But here's where Priyanka's enterprising spirit took over.

'Anurag was busy with other pre-production work. And tried to beg off. But Priyanka would hear none of it. She told Anurag this sudden space in her schedule was god-sent. She had not been able to prepare for 'Barfee' as much as she wanted to because of her tight schedules.'

'Priyanka would hear none of Anurag's protestations. She just took over his time and insisted that they visit a couple of institutions for the mentally and physically challenged. She also got immersed in lengthy workshops and even convinced Ranbir Kapoor to join her. This week she and Anurag have been inseparable in giving authenticity to her character,' said a source.

Like they say, one producer's loss is another filmmaker's gain.