Priyanka Chopra's voice reminded Andaaz producer Suneel Darshan of Rekha: ‘Nobody had faith in her'

Hindustan Times

31-05-2025

After winning the Miss World title, Priyanka Chopra began her Bollywood journey with the film The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. She followed it with Andaaz, for which she was praised for her performance. Now, in an interview with India Today, Andaaz producer Suneel Darshan has revealed how Priyanka's voice reminded him of Rekha. (Also Read: Priyanka Chopra shot Fashion amid her father's cancer diagnosis, says co-star Arjan Bajwa: 'She is a very strong girl')
Suneel shared that the search for the second lead required someone who could match Lara Dutta's presence. The filmmaker recalled sitting in his chamber when he received a call — an actor's secretary had arrived with a young woman he wanted to introduce to him. Following his usual practice of meeting newcomers personally, he agreed to the meeting. That day, the visitor was Prakash Jaju, the secretary of none other than Miss World, Priyanka Chopra.
Suneel admitted that he wasn't particularly impressed initially. He said, 'My first response was not wow. But later, she groomed herself - evolved is the right word. Fifteen minutes into the conversation, I observed her eyes and said to myself, 'Iski aankhein kya kamaal hai, aur iski awaaz Rekha ki yaad dilati hai (She has such beautiful eyes and her voice reminds of Rekha).''
He added, 'That day I was sure - this is Rekha coming back. I had known Rekha ji earlier. But except for me, nobody else involved in the film saw that or had faith. They were more supportive of Lara and her personality. Priyanka was a different ball game. But I was very sure Priyanka Chopra was going to be a top star.'
Directed by Raj Kanwar and produced by Suneel Darshan, Andaaz was a romantic musical starring Lara Dutta, Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles. The film revolves around Raj (Akshay), a young man who falls in love with his best friend, Kajal (Lara). However, his love remains unspoken, and Kajal ends up marrying someone else. Heartbroken, Raj moves on with life and eventually meets Jiya (Priyanka), a vibrant and independent woman who falls in love with him. Just as Raj begins to consider a future with Jiya, his past resurfaces, complicating their relationship. The film was a major box office success.