Guddu Dhanoa who directed Priyanka in Big Brother and Kismat is all praise for her . “When I did a film , finally titled Big Brother, with her, I was told that this would be her first film, that we were launching her.This was back in 2002-2003. I did not know that she was doing other films as well.”
Dhanoa recalls that Big Brother had another title. “Back then this film was being made by the name of Gandhi , and Vijeta Films(the Deol banner) was producing the film. Sunny was producing and starring in that film, I was directing it.The title was later changed to Big Brother.”
The director affectionately recalls Priyanka’s rawness and enthusiasm in those her initial days as an actor. “We were shooting in Hyderabad and a scene was narrated to her. Back then she did not know much about acting .She would say, ‘Please explain to me, how do I do it.’ It means she has a hunger to learn, she had it at that time, she wanted to do it, wanted to do it very well, and her looks were also good.”
After shooting with Priyanka in Hyderabad , Dhanoa started to hear negative things about Priyanka from Mumbai. “We started shooting and we had a very long schedule. After we shot for 15-20 days and we started getting reports from Mumbai that she looks very bad, she is a very bad actor, please watch the rushes. So I said okay, we will watch the rushes.’
Dhano recalls how he and Sunny Deol refused to succumb to pressures to sack Priyanka. “We saw the rushes, whatever we had shot there, however much we had shot, and after watching the rushes, Sunny Deol and I, both of us decided that we will work with this girl and complete the film with this girl only. And I think we liked her, I mean we liked her screen presence and we liked her as an actor too. We thought she will grow and we were right. She later she grew a lot as a person and actor. I later did another hit film Kismat with her Bobby Deol in the lead.”
Dhanoa is proud to see where Priyanka has reached. “Today she improved as an actor and improved a lot. Today, everyone knows the rest of the history.”
Dhanoa gives a touching illustration of how global stardom has not changed Priyanka. “They say she became such a big star. When Priyanka got, she hosted the reception in Bombay, she invited me and after so many years she called me, messaged me and sent me a card, which not many actors do, meaning maintaining a relationship, I think it is a big thing, I felt very good when she invited me . I think she is a very nice, very good actor and every person grows and I say, I tell everyone that acting is such a key, it is the key of such a lock that can be put in your hand even on the first day and it may take even ten years for a person to understand .She grew very quickly or you can say that the key of acting got in her hand very quickly, she grew very quickly, she is fantastic.”
