Priyanka has no problems with Akshay

Wherever she is, Priyanka Chopra is a constant grist for the gossip mills. Hiren Kotwani chats up with the star.

Now she’s in the Bikaner sands, then in Bangkok, Boston and aaah, finally home in Mumbai. But then travel ing is just one of the perks of being in the dream factory.

But wherever she is, Priyanka Chopra is constant grist for the gossip mills. Which is why I want to know right away:

News is that you’ve signed up the Venus banner film with Akshay Kumar again.. but hadn’t you both decided mutually not to pair together after the intese rumours?
(Cautiously) I’ve no clue about this. I haven’t signed any film with Akshay yet.

Do you anticipate any problems when you work with Akshay Kumar again? I don’t foresee any problems of working with Akshay again. When I take up a role, it hinges entirely on the script and my role in it.

Apparently, Kareena Kapoor is upset with you for doing a take-off on Pooh (Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham) in Salaam-e-Ishq.
I don’t think that’s the case. Not only Kamini but all the characters in my story were caricatures of real people in the Bombay movies. Kamini was a caricature of an item girl, Tinnu Anand was a caricature of star secretaries, Amar and Prem were modelled on real life journalists.

Kamini was meant to go over the top. Certain mannerisms and attitudes were taken from real people. I guess that was necessary because Kamini was not just any item girl. She’s a star like Helenji in her prime. Kamini had to break into nakhras, and talk in third person.

So whose mannerisms and attitudes did you adopt?
It would be very unfair to name them.. why don’t you ask the director? (Nikhil Advani).

Journalists were made fun of in the film.. where do you ever see scribes like Amar and Prem?
I don’t think that was the intention. Personally I think the media is responsible about its job.. I haven’t had any problems with the journalists I’ve interacted with. I would even say the media has been kind to me.

Then how do you react when stories about your affairs are splashed all over the papers and magazines?
(Sighs audibly) It would be clichéd to say that it’s a part and parcel of the profession, One learns to take it in one’s stride.

After you opted out of Kaal, you haven’t been offered another film by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. Like Kamini, aren’t you also waiting for that one big film from him?
Yes, definitely. Karan Johar is a big name.. who wouldn’t want to work for his production banner or in the film that he directs? He understood my predicament when I couldn’t do Kaal but that hasn’t affected the friendly rapport we share. I’m sure he’ll call me whenever he has an appropriate role.

The Yashraj banner seems to have avoided you too.
What I said about Dharma Productions goes for the Yashraj banner too. They cast actors who best suit the characters.. so I’m hopeful of being cast by them in the future.

You came in for considerable criticism for Krrish.. could you handle it?
I take criticism positively. If the critics had issues with my make-up and performance, I can only hope that I won’t let them down in the future.

The trade believed that you had been accepted by the Shah Rukh Khan camp after doing a series of shows and then Don with him.

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