Priyanka Chopra remembers Barfi's Jhilmil; reveals how Anurag Basu could not envision her in the role

Priyanka Chopra recently revisited her experience playing Jhilmil Chatterjee in Anurag Basu’s 2012 film Barfi!. As the film nears its 13th anniversary, she reflected on how the journey to embody Jhilmil was far from straightforward.

Priyanka shared on Instagram that when Basu first met her at her Mumbai home, he couldn’t picture her as Jhilmil. She had just returned from an event looking glamorous, but the director wasn’t convinced. “He took one look and said he couldn’t imagine me as Jhilmil. I understood, I didn’t want to mess it up either,” she recalled.

To change his mind, they agreed to a five-day workshop. Priyanka and Anurag Basu delved deep into research, watching videos, reading extensively, and meeting children on the autism spectrum. They spent hours in the director’s Aram Nagar office, experimenting with different exercises to capture the character’s nuances.

One unusual exercise stood out: Basu asked her to hurl Hindi expletives at him. Though mortified, Priyanka gave it a shot. She described it as “hilarious, liberating,” and a moment that pushed her beyond her comfort zone. After more of these “Basu-style” drills, Jhilmil gradually took shape.

Most of Jhilmil’s scenes were improvised, Priyanka revealed. The process was collaborative, fluid, and demanded vulnerability. She also acknowledged her co-stars Ranbir Kapoor and Ileana D’Cruz, noting their support during the shoot.

The film holds personal significance for Priyanka as well. She shared that Barfi! was among the last projects on which her father, Ashok Chopra, visited her on set before his passing in 2013 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

Barfi! remains a milestone in Priyanka’s career, not just for the critical acclaim it received but also for the personal and professional challenges she overcame to bring Jhilmil to life. The role required her to stretch her abilities and leave behind familiar territory. It’s a chapter she revisits with a mix of respect and fondness, acknowledging the hard work behind the memorable performance.