Priyanka Chahar Choudhary recalls working 36 hours while juggling Naagin 7, Battleground: ‘Survived on 40-minute naps’

Priyanka Chahar Choudhary revealed she initially turned down Naagin 7, aiming for more natural roles. Later shot for 12 hours a day for the show.

Television actor Priyanka Chahar Choudhary recently won hearts as the lead in Ektaa Kapoor's supernatural fantasy series Naagin 7. With the season now wrapped up, fans had been eagerly waiting for filmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan to visit Priyanka's home for one of her popular vlogs. The wait is finally over. In Farah's latest vlog, Priyanka opened up about her initial hesitation to sign Naagin 7 and recalled pulling a gruelling 36-hour shift while juggling the show with Battleground.

Priyanka Chahar Choudhary recalls working 36 hours shift during Naagin.

Priyanka Chahar Choudhary on rejecting Naagin 7

Priyanka revealed that she initially turned down Naagin and recalled, "Ekta ma’am offered me Naagin inside the Bigg Boss house. Later she told me that when Dibakar (filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee) was selecting contestants, she specifically told him not to eliminate me because she was keeping me for something else. Before leaving the house, she hugged everyone. When she hugged me, she whispered, ‘Listen, I’m going to call you soon.’ I knew she was talking about Naagin.”

She added, "I had initially refused Naagin. I wanted to do a show that involved more natural acting. I didn’t say no outright, but I definitely had second thoughts. I was on a flight to the US when I received the call. I had Wi-Fi, so they spoke to me, but I said, ‘I haven’t thought about it yet.’ Later, the casting person told me that after I hung up, my entire team panicked.”

Along with Naagin 7, Priyanka had also signed up as a mentor on the reality show Battleground. Speaking about her hectic schedule, she revealed that she shot for 26 days a month for Naagin, working 12-hour shifts each day. “I was simultaneously working on Battleground, so managing both was extremely difficult,” she said.

She added, "When I signed Naagin, I wanted to do something different. That’s why I also took up Battleground. For Battleground, I would shoot from 10 pm to 7 am. I’d reach home around 6 or 7 in the morning, take a quick shower, and be on the Naagin set by 9 am. Then I’d shoot there till 9 pm. It felt like working almost 36 hours at a stretch. I would survive on 40-minute naps because I simply can’t sleep in the afternoon."

About Priyanka Chahar Choudhary

Priyanka rose to nationwide fame after playing Tejo Sandhu in the popular TV drama Udaariyaan (2021–2023), where her performance won her critical acclaim and a massive fan following. Her chemistry with co-star Ankit Gupta also became a major talking point among viewers. She further cemented her popularity by participating in Bigg Boss 16, where she finished as the second runner-up. Even though she did not win the trophy, she emerged as one of the most talked-about contestants on the show. Salman Khan even praised her, calling her the "winner of the show".

Following Bigg Boss, Priyanka featured in several music videos and brand collaborations. She later headlined Naagin 7, Ektaa Kapoor's supernatural fantasy series, marking her first lead role in the iconic franchise. She is yet to announce her next project.