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India Today
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
How director Tarun Mansukhani predicted Priyanka's global success with 'Desi Girl'
Director Tarun Mansukhani still vividly remembers the moment Priyanka Chopra became the Desi Girl, not just on screen but in pop culture history. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, the 'Dostana' director opened up about the origin of the song, his deep bond with Priyanka, and how he foresaw her global success long before the world to India Today exclusively, Tarun opened up about how the iconic track 'Desi Girl' became hers. 'When I was making 'Dostana', we were looking for a song. And eventually, I got this song - Desi Girl. I remember, at that time, there were only CDs. We were shooting some other scenes first, and I had just gotten the song. I told her to come sit in the car so she could hear it on proper speakers.'advertisementContinuing further, he said, 'I made her sit in the car, I put the CD on, and - I think she'll be able to tell you this as well - before I played the song, I said to her: 'No matter how big you become, no matter where you go in life, they will always refer to you as this.' And I played the song.' Tarun recalled the gut feeling he had: 'I knew from that moment - that this girl was going to be beyond global. Because when I heard the song, I thought, 'Oh my God, this girl... it is just her.'' View this post on Instagram A post shared by India Today (@indiatoday)The director spoke about her extraordinary journey with genuine admiration. 'Of course, we always imagine the best for our friends, right? We want them to be the richest, happiest people in the world. But she has surpassed all of that, beyond anything we could've imagined. She has achieved so much more than we even hoped for her,' he then said, 'When it comes to Priyanka, I have a completely different relationship. We got to know each other during 'Dostana', and that friendship developed from there. The bond I share with her goes very deep - for me, it feels karmic.' Describing their bond, he explained, 'We're not on the phone every day. We talk very rarely - it's mostly just chats or Instagram shares. But the connection we have is something that feels meant to be. I can call her up at any point in time and tell her my worst things or my best things without feeling judged - and I know it works the other way around too.'What makes their friendship rare in the film industry is its lack of any agenda: 'We've never had a friendship that was about work. It was never, 'Oh, we need to be friends because then we can work together.' She might think I'm a good director. I think she's the most fabulous actor. But that has never even for a moment entered our friendship. And that's what makes it so pure. I truly love the relationship and friendship I share with her.'As our conversation with the director continued, we explored his future projects and dream locations. It was here that Tarun revealed a deeply personal connection to a place he'd never visited - asked Tarun if he would be open to shooting in Kashmir, given the current scenario, he said, "I would love to. I would go there at the drop of a hat. Whatever pointers aside, for whatever reasons of security and all of that... It's ours. It's home."Mansukhani expressed a desire to explore Kashmir not just as a filmmaker. He admitted that, despite his busy schedule, he has long desired to experience the breathtaking beauty. "I've unfortunately never been there," he revealed."So, I want to and hope - after this film, when I get a break - I want to go. I really want to go. I want to travel for a while - just get to see my own country a lot more,' he said, reflecting a sense of national Bobby Deol too took his next project to Kashmir. He will be shooting his next big show in Kashmir, as per reports. He will be the first Bollywood star to lead a full-scale shoot in the region following the tragic incident in Pahalgam earlier this year.
India Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Hungry elephant walks into Thai store, steals snacks like a pro. Video goes viral
In a scene that left social media users amused, a wild elephant wandered into a grocery store near Khao Yai National Park in Thailand on Monday and snacked to his heart's elephant, identified by wildlife officials as Plai Biang Lek, was spotted approaching the store before squeezing himself through the front entrance, Associated Press reports.A video of the incident that went viral online shows him making a beeline for the snack counter, where he began sampling goods straight off the shelves. Although national park workers tried to usher him out, the elephant seemed unfazed by their With a bag of food secured in his trunk, he eventually reversed his way out of the the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by India Today (@indiatoday)While recounting the incident, Kamploy Kakaew, who is the owner of the shop, recalled how the elephant nonchalantly chomped through several items, including nine packets of sweet rice crackers, a sandwich, and dried bananas she had just stocked that Sookkanthachat, a volunteer ranger who has observed Plai Biang Lek over the years, told the Associated Press that the 30-year-old elephant is no stranger to human settlements. However, this is the first time Plai Biang Lek was seen walking into a grocery he left the shop, he went on to open a bedroom window of another house,' Sookkanthachat told The Associated Press.(With inputs from Associated Press)
India Today
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Allu Arjun recreates Pushpa pose, admits being 1st South star with six-pack abs
Telugu superstar Allu Arjun, who tasted success with 'Pushpa 2: The Rule', attended the WAVES Summit 2025 on Thursday in Mumbai. He was a speaker in one of the chat sessions where he spoke in depth about 'Pushpa 2: The Rule', his iconic pose, wearing a saree in the Jaathara sequence and the rise of Indian one of the viral moments from the event, Allu Arjun was seen delighting his fans when he did the 'Pushpa' pose, which was met with loud the video: View this post on Instagram A post shared by India Today (@indiatoday) He also admitted being the first South Indian actor to sport six-pack abs for his film."With all humility, yes. It was 20 years ago. Back in the day, nobody had ever done that in South India. Culturally, it wasn't accepted and there were many taboos around that. I knew that, sometimes, it takes only one person to break the jinx. Someone motivated me to do that when they said that South actors cannot come up with six packs. It was one of my actors who worked with me back then. I took it up as a challenge and I did it for my people," he explained. advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by ShowMo (@showmo_india)Speaking at the session titled 'Talent Beyond Borders', the 'Pushpa' actor said that Indian cinema will have a great impact at the global box said, "With all due respect to every other film industry in the world, whether it is Hollywood films, Korean films, Iranian films, or Chinese films, everybody has had an impact on the global box office. We have such a big film industry, and we've been there for so many decades. But we never had a serious impact on the global box office. I feel it's just about time... India is getting there. We, as a country, are growing and in the coming years, the Indian film industry will make a global mark," he Arjun also explained that one has to go local for a global impact. He explained, "Everything has a significant impact on me, everything is changing so fast in the world. K-Pop, K-dramas, Hollywood films, regional films, everything has got a significant impact. The only way to reach a global level is by telling local stories."Allu Arjun will join hands with director Atlee for his next big Watch
India Today
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- India Today
Iron rods tear through car on Pune-Bengaluru highway. Chilling video goes viral
A family travelling on the Pune-Bengaluru highway had a narrow escape when a tempo ahead of them, carelessly loaded with iron rods, braked suddenly. Within seconds, the rods slid forward and speared through the car's front windscreen. A chilling video of the incident, which took place near Kaneriwadi Phata in Kolhapur, went viral on social media. The crash looked terrifying. Two men and two women were inside the car, with rods stopping mere inches from the driver and front passenger. advertisementIn a miraculous turn, no one was hurt. The vehicle, however, took the hit as its entire front was left badly damaged. The clip showed the car slowing down when the tempo ahead jolted to a stop. The unsecured rods had nothing to hold them back. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by India Today (@indiatoday)The matter reportedly ended with on-the-spot mediation, and no police case was filed at the Gokul Shiragaon station. Must Watch
