Guddu Dhanoa On How Priyanka Chopra  Was  Almost Thrown  Out Of  Her First  Film

Guddu Dhanoa  who  directed Priyanka in Big Brother and  Kismat   is all praise for her . “When I did a film , finally titled  Big Brother, with her, I was told that this would be  her first film, that  we were  launching her.This was  back in  2002-2003. I did not know that she was doing other films as well.”

  Dhanoa  recalls  that  Big Brother  had another title.   “Back  then  this film was being made by the name of Gandhi , and Vijeta Films(the Deol banner)  was producing the film. Sunny was producing and starring in  that film, I was directing it.The title  was  later  changed to Big Brother.”

 The director  affectionately recalls Priyanka’s rawness and  enthusiasm in those her initial days  as an actor.  “We were shooting in Hyderabad and a scene was  narrated to her.  Back then  she did not know much about acting .She would say, ‘Please explain to me, how do I do it.’ It  means she  has a hunger to learn, she had it at that time, she wanted to do it, wanted to do it very well, and her  looks were also good.”

  After shooting with Priyanka  in Hyderabad , Dhanoa started  to  hear negative things about Priyanka from  Mumbai. “We started shooting and we had a very long schedule. After  we shot for 15-20 days and  we started getting reports  from Mumbai  that she looks very bad, she is a very bad actor, please  watch the rushes. So I said okay, we will watch the rushes.’

   Dhano recalls how  he and Sunny Deol  refused to succumb to  pressures to sack Priyanka. “We saw the rushes, whatever we had shot there, however much we had shot, and after watching the rushes, Sunny Deol and I, both of us decided that we will work with this girl and complete the film with this girl only. And I think we liked her, I mean we liked  her screen presence and we liked her as an actor too. We thought she will grow and  we were right. She  later she grew a lot as  a person  and actor. I later  did another hit film Kismat with her Bobby Deol in  the lead.”

Dhanoa is  proud  to see where Priyanka has reached. “Today she improved as an actor and improved a lot. Today, everyone knows the rest of the history.”

 Dhanoa gives a touching illustration of  how global stardom has not changed Priyanka. “They say she became such a big star. When Priyanka got, she hosted the reception in Bombay, she invited me and after so many years she called me, messaged me and sent me a card, which not many actors do, meaning maintaining a relationship, I think it is a big thing, I felt very good when she invited me . I think she is a very nice, very good actor and every person grows and I say, I tell everyone that acting is such a key, it is the key of such a lock that can be put in your hand even on the first day and it may take even ten  years for a person to understand .She grew very quickly or you can say that the key of acting got in her hand very quickly, she grew very quickly, she is  fantastic.”