priyanka!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oomph n Oeuvre!

The World of Hindi cinema literally seems to be at Miss World's feet today – a feat (pun unintended, please!) indeed for Priyanka Chopra.

With the crme-de-la-crme of assignments, like Rakesh Roshan's Krissh (the sequel to Koi… Mil Gaya) with Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar's Don opposite Shah Rukh Khan, Rumi Jaffrey's God Tussi Great Ho opposite Salman Khan (her Mujhse Shaadi Karogi co-star), Ramesh Sippy's Bluff Master with Abhishek Bachchan and a major banner assignment soon to be revealed, the actress takes giant strides in her career, and moves into the super slot of being co-star to the biggest heroes on the block.

And if she has lost J.P.Dutta's version of Umrao Jaan to another Miss World, Aishwarya Rai, well, no hassles, both Krrish and Bluff Master, were originally earmarked for Aishwarya. And with the former film, Priyanka, though unwittingly, will make a decisive statement of being a Today's Generation actress: for, portraying Hrithik's mother in a cameo is none other than Preity Zinta – the main heroine of Priyanka's debut film, The Hero, just two years ago!

Much water has flowed under the Priyanka bridge after that small but noticeable debut. The year 2005, but for the aberrational Blackmail, has been a largely fruitful year. Not all has been hunky-dory in life though: her luckiest co-star Akshay Kumar has become the pivot of her career's biggest controversy – their alleged affair that the grapevine insists continues to this day even when they are not signing films together (her Barsaat filmmaker Suneel Darshan mutters a deadpan 'No comments!' when asked whether Bobby Deol replaced Akshay because of the hue-and-cry over their relationship), and a long spat with her ex-secretary who filed a case of cheating against her.

But Priyanka's stars are on the upswing, and the charges against her were recently dismissed. Akshay Kumar too has declared that there is no embargo from wife Twinkle on films with Priyanka. Early this year, Priyanka miraculously escaped unhurt from being fatally electrocuted on the sets of Waqt – The Race Against Time. And now she faces life with a smile and promises to come up trumps again as she battles with the serious illness of her father.

Excerpts from an interview:

Barsaat is the first film you've done as a second-time artiste with a filmmaker.
True. I do not like to repeat characters, and as you have seen, even my two negative roles in Aitraaz and Yakeen were completely different from each other. I try and vary my characters and the way I look and act in every film. Also, I love to encourage newcomers. I have worked in the first films of Girish Dhamija and Sanjay F. Gupta and now I am working with Rumi Jaffrey too. Coming to Suneel Darshan, this is the second time that he directed me.

As in Barsaat you played a very Indian housewife in Waqt – The Race Against Time too.
Yes, but that was once again a strong and relatable character in the sense that she proved that she could be a strong support system to her weak husband in a crisis.

Is it essential for you to relate to a character that you play?
No, though I believe in every character that I take up, I actually prefer that I do not relate to my character, for there lies the real challenge for an actor – as in Aitraaz!

Did you expect Aitraaz to work the wonders it did for your career?
No, I did not. In fact, I was very sceptical, and I wondered whether I could pull it off. Sonia was someone I could never identify with, and she was a home-breaker too, which I can never be. Also, I was just 20 or so when we began shooting, and it was a very mature and difficult role to play.

So who gets the credit for this triumph and in what proportion?
I don't know about proportions, but a lot of the credit goes to Abbas-bhai and Mustan-bhai, and to my dress designer Vikram Phadnis. Of course, some credit goes to me too! (Laughs)

So in your own way you also take risks.
Playing safe is something I have never believed in. Even a film like Bluff Master is a kind of new-age cinema with experimental music – every song in the film is a remix of international tracks.

Can you elaborate on the other films that you are doing?
In Krissh I play a TV anchor. All I can say about this film now is that Hrithik Roshan is an inspiration in the way he is completely focused. In Bluff Master I got to work with Nana Patekar, who turned out to be such a nice human being despite his intimidating image that affected me on the first day we shot together. Then in God Tussi…, in which I am a journalist, I actually get to do comedy for the first time, which is different from Mujhse Shaadi Karogi because in that film the funny part was the audience's reactions to unfunny things happening to the principal stars. Finally, in Don, I get to do Zeenatji's role.

You also almost did Umrao Jaan too. What is your take on the current trend of remakes of Hindi films?
They are like remixes – if done well they will be good to watch. But Farhan is not only remaking the original film – he's bringing in his sensibilities to it. The cast now includes Kareena Kapoor, Ishaa Koppikar and Arjun Rampal. Kareena even gets to enact the original 'Yeh mera dil' while Shah Rukh and I will do 'Khaike paan'.

You are known to get along famously with female co-stars. How was it working with Bipasha Basu?
Very pleasant! Bipasha is a wonderful, honest human being, and we have done shows together earlier. And I am impressed by the way she disconnects immediately after work.

How important for you is a co-star's contribution for a good performance?
Of course, it is very important. If a co-star has stupid lines, or speaks them stupidly and you are being shot in a close-up, you can never act well. If a co-star is not serious and involved, it can get very irritating. Especially if you are a serious actor and enjoy acting, like I do.

Have you always enjoyed acting, or was there a point at which you began to love it?
I hated acting when I started out. And I am talking about films alone, because I would do theatre when in school. The high of acting before a live audience cannot be compared with films, just like watching your film for the first time cannot be compared with the reactions from your performance on stage. Actually, on the first day of my first film's shoot, I was instructed how I would have to say my lines when I reached a certain mark on the floor, and had to do it when looking in a particular direction at the same time. It was all very difficult. I went home and bawled, 'Yeh mujhse nahin hoga'. Mom was cool. She told me, 'Okay, now that you have signed the film, finish it. Then you can go back to your college.' I was studying engineering then – and look at me now - I cannot do anything other than act!

But why on earth did you sign a film if you did not like acting?
Well, I did not know that I would hate it till I signed it and began shooting – after all, I had done theatre. I became a Miss World and was offered a film, so I thought I would give it a shot. Everybody does it, so I thought kar lo.

And how did you begin to enjoy acting?
Actually there was no particular moment, or any specific role. Basically, my first two directors Raj Kanwar (Andaaz) and Anil Sharma (The Hero) were very patient. They taught me the basic necessities and got me interested in acting, and even in the technical departments of filmmaking, like direction. Today I even take a lot of interest in cinematography and scripting.

And your hidden talent is music.
Yes, I love songs and I love to sing. Old Hindi songs are a favourite, as also Western numbers.

So when is the PC album coming out?
(Laughs) No, baba, no albums for me! I just enjoy singing. I do want to sing in some film of mine, but it should be an important song and a good one. I have sung on several shows of mine, like on this World Tour show in which every actor was showcasing hidden talents. Like Saif Ali Khan played his guitar.

But haven't you formally trained in music?
Yes. I got into a school in America on a scholarship that I won by standing first in an IQ test – that is one of the biggest high-points of my life. I learnt Western Classical music there. Back home, dad would keep singing – to me, to my mom. He would serenade my mom with the song 'Jaane kya dhoondti rehti hai aankhen' among others. So to me that song epitomizes romance and is one of my top favourites!

Though Aitraaz was more talked about, you also wore bold outfits in Andaaz. Would you do such roles again?
I don't think so. Look, don't get me wrong. Andaaz was a very special film for me, and always will be. But I was very young – I was 18 when I began shooting for it. There are so many things that you learn with experience. Today I would not be comfortable doing that kind of role or wearing those outfits.

But you agreed to do Aitraaz. The grapevine insists that it was because of your growing rapport with Akshay Kumar.
That's nonsense! You forget that Aitraaz was also among the earliest lot of films that I signed. And I was really quite uncomfortable shooting all those 'hot' scenes in front of a unit. But they were done classily, so that was okay.

Why do all actresses begin shunning exposure as they move up the success ladder? Is it something to do with better roles?
No, my role in Andaaz was a damn good one, despite Lara getting the hero at the end and having a lot of emotional scope. I had a role with so many shades – I was a bubbly girl, bold but not immoral, I had naughty scenes and yet there was a sober, sacrificial angle. I had to dance, sing, laugh – and cry too. Basically, it is all about how people look at you. This is something you can get to know only after working in your first few films. So again it is all about experience as a teacher.

What about the current maxim that only sex and Shah Rukh sell today?
Shah Rukh is the biggest star for over a decade – he is brilliant as an actor and a businessman. As for sex, well, Hindi films have always had phases – of action films, romances, war films, period films and even sex films. But I think that the phase of sex films that began with Murder has passed now. Today they want films that can be enjoyed with the family.

How ambitious are you, Priyanka?
I don't think I am ambitious – otherwise I'd have planned my career better. I have made my mistakes. I also enjoy the whole art of filmmaking, so I sign some films just to be part of a good setup, and others to look after the actress side of me. I go by instinct. Someone asked me recently whether I have any international ambitions. But the same thing applies there – I don't plan. For me, a film is a film is a film, and Hollywood films, if they come to me, will be signed with the same instinct. I have even done so many South Indian films, in fact, my first-ever film was a Tamil one also named Tamil, opposite Vijay.

And, of course, you love the three greatest needs of a heroine, acting, singing and dancing.
Yeah, I am perfectly cut out to be an actress! I've formally learnt both singing and dancing and though I have not been trained in acting, I am learning on the job! (laughs)

For every year you have been here, you have won an award. Are awards important to you?
Awards charge and encourage you, and so are important. I got some awards for Best Debut and then the Aitraaz one was actually for my performance – in a Negative Role. But I would not like to win awards only for one kind of performance. I want to give variety even to my awards!

But isn't it an open secret that awards are all about lobbies and business.
Well, maybe they are. But popular awards are important because films basically are a business. Speaking for me, I never lobbied for the awards I have won, and so I'd prefer to believe that they've come to me on merit.

From a teenager to Miss World to wannabe actress to a frontline star – how has the perspective on PC changed at home through all these stages?
At home I'm still a kid who's not grown up at all. I love that and want to keep it that way! I've matured in terms of decision-making, and become more intuitive and careful. But at home I am still my parents' child.

You've recently taken up an unusual social cause – water preservation.
That it's extremely important. Water is taken for granted around the world. But every drop matters when there is progressive global warming. Energy in every form must be conserved. We need to give our kids a good world to live in.