Miss World 2025 festival launches in Hyderabad with celebration of global unity
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Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Anil Sharma refuses to take credit for Priyanka Chopra's success, recalls casting her without a screen test in her debut: ‘She still has the middle-class sanskaar of a UP family'
Before becoming one of India's most celebrated exports to Hollywood, Priyanka Chopra began her Bollywood journey under the direction of Anil Sharma . Fresh off her Miss World 2000 win, she made her acting debut in The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003) alongside Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta . The big-budget spy thriller, touted as the most expensive Indian film of its time, not only earned her an award for Best Supporting Actress but also marked the first step in a career that would turn her into a global icon. 'It is all her hard work' In a recent interview with News18, director Anil Sharma downplayed being credited for Priyanka 's success. 'It is all her hard work,' he said, before recounting how he first saw her on television when she was crowned Miss World. Impressed by her beauty, he invited her to meet him, and she arrived with her father, Dr. Ashok Chopra . Sharma recalled feeling an instant connection, noting they were based in Bareilly at the time. First role without a screen test Sharma revealed that Priyanka became the first actor he ever cast without a screen test. 'After talking to her, I quickly handed over the cheque. Just by speaking to her, I knew she was a performer,' he said. The filmmaker added that her dedication, along with life experiences, shaped her into the international star she is today. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dementia Has Been Linked To a Common Habit. Do You Do It? Memory Health Click Here Undo Sunny Deol, Anil Sharma play Holi with 'Gadar 2' crew 'She still has that respect for me' Reflecting on her personality beyond fame, Sharma described Priyanka as 'a wonderful person' who continues to greet him warmly whenever they meet. 'She doesn't hesitate to leave her group when she spots me. She still maintains the middle-class sanskaar of a UP family. She has become such a big personality today, par use asmaan ki hawa nahi lagi,' he remarked. Despite their bond, Sharma admitted that it has been a long time since they last met, as Priyanka rarely visits India for work these days. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
‘Priyanka Chopra still hugs me with so much love, hasn't forgotten her middle-class values,' says Anil Sharma: ‘She has become a global star, par asmaan ki hawa nahi lagi'
After winning the Miss World crown in 2000, Priyanka Chopra made her Bollywood debut with Anil Sharma's 2003 film The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, alongside Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta. Considered the most expensive Indian film of its time, Hero earned Priyanka the Stardust Award for Best Supporting Actress and marked the beginning of her meteoric rise in cinema, eventually making her a global icon. In a recent interview, when Hero director Anil Sharma was credited with Priyanka Chopra's success, he was quick to interject, saying, 'It is all her hard work.' Speaking to Showsha, the filmmaker recalled the time when he cast Priyanka for his film. 'I saw Priyanka Chopra for the first time on television when she was crowned Miss World in 2000. I found her to be very pretty. I invited her to meet me. She came along with her father Dr Ashok Chopra. He was a nice man. As soon as I met them, it felt like they were my own people. Back then, they lived in Bareilly.' He added, 'When I met Priyanka, she became the first girl whom I cast without taking a screen test. After talking to her, I quickly handed over the cheque to her. Just by speaking to her, I knew she was a performer. After that, she worked very hard and many incidents happened in her life, which ultimately made her a global icon.' ALSO READ | Love in the time of Gabbar: A real-life romance born on Sholay set; neither Dharmendra-Hema Malini, nor Amitabh Bachchan-Jaya Bahaduri Reflecting on Priyanka Chopra beyond her stardom, Anil Sharma said, 'She is a wonderful person. She still shows respect when she sees me. Whenever we meet, she hugs me with so much love. She doesn't hesitate to leave her group, when she spots me somewhere. She has that respect for me because it is the reflection of her upbringing. Priyanka still maintains the middle class sanskaar of a UP family. It is a huge thing. She has become such big personality today, par use asmaan ki hawa nahi lagi.' However, in the same interview, the filmmaker admitted that he hasn't met Priyanka in a very long time, as she rarely visits India for work these days.
News18
4 days ago
- News18
These 3 Miss Worlds Entered Bollywood - Two Pregnant Before Marriage, 3rd Created Bigger Buzz
That year, Lara Dutta became Miss Universe on May 12 in Nicosia, Cyprus. Dia Mirza, runner-up at Miss India 2000, went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific crown. Priyanka Chopra claimed the Miss World title. By 2003, all three had entered Hindi cinema as Dia debuted with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001), and Lara and Priyanka arriving together in Andaaz opposite Akshay Kumar. (News18 Hindi) Recalling those early days, Dia once said in an interview that she had entered the industry with Priyanka and Lara. "Priyanka had family support, but Lara and I were short of money. She invited me to stay in her small apartment. Many nights, dinner was just noodles," she said. (News18 Hindi) Success came quickly for Priyanka and Lara with their first film, while Dia struggled through a string of flops. Yet it was in their personal lives that headlines grew more dramatic. Dia married producer Sahil Sangha in 2014 after meeting him in 2009. The two divorced by mutual consent, and in February 2021 she wed businessman Vaibhav Rekhi, announcing her pregnancy shortly afterward. (News18 Hindi) Lara, meanwhile, had a nine-year relationship with model-actor Kelly Dorji before marrying tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi in 2011. Bhupathi, who divorced Shweta Jaishankar before the wedding, became a father just months later when Lara confirmed her pregnancy. Industry whispers often linked her fading Bollywood career to relationship distractions. (News18 Hindi) Priyanka's trajectory was different. She delivered box office hits like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Krrish, Don, Barfi!, and Bajirao Mastani. But in 2018, at the height of her stardom, she surprised many by marrying American singer Nick Jonas in Udaipur and relocating to the US. Rumours in the film industry suggested her exit was hastened by a fallout with Gauri Khan amid speculation about her friendship with Shah Rukh Khan, a controversy that reportedly cost her projects. (News18 Hindi)
