Priyanka Called Arpita 1000 Times to Work With Me: Salman

The ‘Race 3’ star gets extremely frank about Priyanka.

Priyanka Chopra and Salman Khan in still from Salaam-E-Ishq. 

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube Screenshot)

There’s been a lot of drama surrounding Salman Khan’s next Bharat, especially regarding Priyanka Chopra exiting the film. It was big news when the Quantico star signed up for Bharat, since this would be first film with Salman in 10 years. However Priyanka quit the film days before filming started, apparently due to her wedding with Nick Jonas being announced. Reports around the time claimed that Salman was upset with her last minute backing out.

Now a new interview has lent credence to those reports, as Salman talks about how keen Priyanka was to work with him again, and how he tried to convince her to find time for both Bharat and the wedding.

Speaking to a leading daily, Salman was at first accepting of Priyanka’s decision, he acknowledges that there had been a delay in shooting and had he known about her wedding he would have tried to work it out. But the Race 3 actor is also adamant that Priyanka could’ve fit the film in if she wanted.

I told her, ‘If you are getting engaged, what’s the need (of exiting the project)?’ Then she said, ‘Shaadi karni hai’ to which I said ‘Toh shaadi kar lo’. Priyanka’s work was for 75-80 days. Shaadi ke liye chaar din ka preparation, aur chaar din ki shaadi, aath din ke andar ho gayi aur phir uske baad honeymoon. (It takes four days of preparation, four days for the wedding, it’s done in eight days and then the honeymoon.) So, we said we will work it out. But she was very clear that she didn’t want to be a part of the film.  

Salman Khan

Salman went on to say that the decision must’ve been difficult for Priyanka since she was very to keen to do Bharat.

It must have been very difficult for her to make this decision because she was very keen to work on this project. She has called up Arpita a thousand times, saying, ‘I want to work with Salman’. She has even called up Ali (Abbas Zafar, director) and told him, ‘See if you can get me something in this film’.

Salman Khan

However, Salman also had some guesses as to what could be the “real” reason behind Priyanka’s exit.

Not doing this had to be because of the wedding or because she doesn’t want to work with me anymore. It could also be because she doesn’t want to work in humari industry (Bollywood) or wants to work only in Hollywood. Whatever she wants to do, I wish her all the best in life. We are glad that she is engaged and happy.

Salman Khan

Bharat is directed by Ali Abbaz Zafar and stars Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif (replacing Priyanka Chopra), Disha Patani and Tabu. It will be released on Eid 2019.

(With Inputs From: India Today)