Priyanka Chopra, who has enjoyed a successful two-decade-long career in the film industry, almost exited before it began due to a botched nose surgery. Filmmaker Anil Sharma, who directed her in her Bollywood debut, The Hero, recently shared insights about this challenging period in her early career.
In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan on his YouTube channel, Sharma recounted how Priyanka Chopra underwent a nose surgery that went awry. While it was rumored that she had the procedure to resemble Julia Roberts, Sharma clarified that it was a medical operation that simply did not go as planned and emphasized that it was not Priyanka’s fault.
Impact On Her Career
Following the mishap, Priyanka lost several projects and even approached Sharma to return the signing amount she had received for The Hero. “At that time, I had already given her a token of ₹5 lakh. She came with the cheque, saying she had been fired and was moving back to Bareilly,” Sharma revealed. He advised her to keep the money and expressed his disapproval of her decision to leave the industry.
Sharma recounted that Priyanka’s family was prepared for her to return home, with her father already back in Bareilly and her mother planning to resume her practice. They believed it would take time for Priyanka to heal, and they considered returning after a year. However, Sharma intervened, urging them to reconsider their plans.
Ultimately, Priyanka chose to stay in Mumbai and made her Hindi film debut with The Hero, which also starred Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta. She quickly found success with Andaz and received critical acclaim for her performances in films like Aitraaz, Barfi, and Mary Kom. In the mid-2010s, she transitioned to the U.S. entertainment scene, starring in the TV series Quantico and major films such as The Matrix 4 and Citadel.
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Anil Sharma’s support during Priyanka Chopra’s difficult time was pivotal in her decision to continue pursuing her acting career, ultimately leading to her status as a global icon in the film industry.
