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Priyanka Chopra the sizzler in Bollywood moves another step
The new sizzling Goddess of Bollywood is ready for another move, says the rumor world. According media reports, currently the hottest contender in the Aishwarya-Preity-Rani-Kareena league is Priyanka Chopra, and we have Karan Johar’s word for it.
The young lady, all of 23, has suddenly been hurled into the orbit of the opulently successful. Luckily for her as well as us, Priyanka is handling her sudden tryst with super- success with an easygoing grace. No high-handed behaviour, no sudden spiraling of her fee, no attitude. That’s why the rumour that she had been pencilled in to play the pivotal and extremely complex role of Choti Bahu in a new adaptation of Bimal Mitra’s `Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam`, took one by surprise.
Earlier, a much-celebrated screen version of the literary classic had featured Meena Kumari as the unforgettable daughter-in-law in a Bengali feudal household battling bigotry, gender discrimination and alcoholism.
Priyanka Chopra stepping into Meena Kumari’s place??? Sounds a bit far fetched. When asked about it, Deepa Mehta denies any knowledge of Priyanka Chopra or the project for that, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. Deepa Mehta says, “I’ve no clue where this came from. I’ve never met Priyanka, never discussed any project with her. As far as I know, that project is a part of my past.”
Deepa Mehta was keen to cast Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi as Choti Bahu and her faithful Man Friday Bhootnath. Now she appears to have washed her hands off the project.
So is Pritish Nandy Communications actually producing a version of Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam starring Priyanka Chopra? Or has it passed on to the hands of another director?
The truth is perhaps a little more complicated. Deepa is out of this prestigious project. Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam has now passed into the hands of Rituparno Ghosh who admits, “Yes I’ve met Pritish and his daughter Rongita Nandy about a possible new version of Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. When Priyanka’s name was mentioned for the pivotal role I was skeptical. They showed me a photo-shoot of hers dressed as Choti Bahu. I must say I was impressed.”
But wasn’t Choti Bahu a far older character in the film? Ritu explains, “Yes, in the film she was far older because she was played by Meena Kumari. But in Bimal Mitra’s novel Choti Bahu was far younger. Priyanka would be fine. I’d love to do Sahib Bibi… with Priyanka. But not right away. I’ve just done two period films Chokher Bali and Antar Mahal based on Bangla literature. A third one will be a little too much for me. But yes, I’d like to get into it sometime later.” At the moment the future of this project and Bangla literature in mainstream Hindi cinema depends entirely on the fate of Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s new adaptation of Bengali litterateur Saratchandra’s Parineeta. If this ornate period piece does as well as Chopra’s former protégé Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s adaptation of another Saratchandra novel Devdas, then PNC is bound to revive `Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam`.
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