‘He asked me to hurl vile Hindi expletives at him, I was mortified’: Priyanka Chopra on her Barfi! workshop
Mumbai: Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas has opened up about the unusual and transformative workshop experience that helped her land the role of Jhilmil in Barfi!-a part she describes as one of her most cherished to date.
The actress, who recently starred in the streaming action-comedy Heads of State, took to Instagram on Saturday to share behind-the-scenes memories from Barfi!, accompanied by a montage of scenes from the film. In a heartfelt caption, she revealed she almost missed out on playing Jhilmil, a girl with autism, because director Anurag Basu couldn't initially envision her in the role.
“In January 2009, while filming Anjaana Anjaani in New York with Ranbir Kapoor, he mentioned his next film, Barfi!, with Anurag Basu-- a filmmaker I really admired,” Priyanka wrote. “When Sir offered me Jhilmil, I was thrilled. We met at my home in Mumbai--I had just returned from an event, dressed to the nines. He took one look and said he couldn’t imagine me as Jhilmil. I understood. I didn’t want to mess it up either. We agreed to workshop for five days.”
She went on to detail the immersive rehearsal sessions, which included research, meeting children on the autism spectrum, and participating in unconventional acting drills. One such exercise had a surprising impact on her.
“One day, he asked me to hurl vile Hindi expletives at him,” she recalled. “I was mortified, but I tried. It was hilarious, liberating, and really pulled me out of my comfort zone.”
Priyanka credits these "Basu-style" exercises for helping her find her way into the character. Many of Jhilmil’s scenes in the film were improvised, she revealed, the product of spontaneous collaboration on set.
She also reflected on the personal significance of the project, writing, “This was one of the last times my Dad visited me on set. Barfi! remains one of my most treasured films--for the creativity, the crew, and the joy of shared challenges.”
The actress praised the team behind the film, calling cinematographer Ravi Varman’s work “pure poetry”, and applauding Ileana D’Cruz and Ranbir Kapoor for their performances. “Anurag Sir was brilliant, gentle, and playful. His storytelling is magic,” she wrote.
Shot over two years with breaks in between, Barfi! was a risky project at the time, and the team wasn’t sure how audiences would respond. “They did beyond our dreams,” she noted. “The love for Jhilmil has stayed with me ever since.”
Priyanka ended the post on a nostalgic note: “On this nostalgic Saturday, I felt like sharing. What are you reminiscing about these days?”
Released in 2012, Barfi! was widely acclaimed and chosen as India’s official entry for the Oscars that year, though it did not make the final shortlist.
IANS