Priyanka Chopra’s charm has spread far and wide; however, her fame comes with its own set of setbacks and hours of hard work, especially for dancing, an art form she recalls herself being ‘dreadful’ at during her rookie days. Speaking to Vogue Arabia about her growth from back then, including a particularly stressful moment with star choreographer Raju Khan, son of the iconic Saroj Khan, she shared how it took many years of practice to get good at it, including study sessions with friend Katrina Kaif.
Sharing her own experience from being a bad dancer to a powerful one over the many years of being an actor, Priyanka Chopra recalled her early days in the industry when an overseas shoot, presumably for the film Andaaz with Akshay Kumar, caused trouble due to her finding it difficult to act and nail the choreography at the same time, “I was a dreadful dancer when I first started… It was just too many things for my 19- or 20-year-old brain!”
Sharing how her moves or lack thereof caused on-set troubles, she said, “I was filming with Raju Khan in South Africa and missing my marks. He got so upset with me that he threw the mic down, saying, ‘You might come from a pageant, but learn how to dance before you become an actress. ’ He just walked away, and I was so embarrassed.” The two have become great friends since.
To become a strong performer, the 43-year-old would study for six hours a day with a fellow newcomer in the industry back then, friend Katrina Kaif, who has also since become well known for her stage presence. Meanwhile, the desi girl herself can shell out some mean moves, ones that have made her a screen favorite.
Priyanka Chopra will next be seen in the SS Rajamouli directorial Varanasi, the upcoming magnum opus co-starring Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran.