Priyanka Chopra Is Still A Close Friend; We Talk Twice A Month: Bharat Director Ali Abbas Zafar
We all know that Priyanka Chopra was Ali Abbas Zafar's first choice for the role of Kumud Raina but the actress left the film to get married to Nick Jonas.
We
all
know
that
Priyanka
Chopra
was
Ali
Abbas
Zafar's
first
choice
for
the
role
of
Kumud
Raina
but
the
actress
left
the
film
to
get
married
to
Nick
Jonas.
Later,
Ali
approached
Katrina
for
the
main
lead
and
the
rest
is
history.
In
a
recent
interview
to
a
leading
daily,
Ali
revealed
that
he
has
nothing
against
Priyanka
and
he
still
shares
a
close
bond
with
her.
The
director
said,
''Priyanka
was
doing
the
film
but
things
happened.
As
a
friend,
she
shared
it
with
me
and
I
told
that
her
life
is
most
important.
She's
still
a
close
friend.
We
laugh
and
talk
twice
a
month.
I'm
very
happy
for
her.
And
I'm
grateful
to
Katrina
for
stepping
in.
I
was
honest
with
her
and
told
her
I
was
sending
her
a
script.''
''If
she
liked
it,
we'd
discuss
it
further.
She's
my
closest
friend
in
Mumbai,
we
come
from
similar
middleclass
backgrounds,
our
values
are
the
same,
and
we
discuss
everything.
But
on
the
work
front,
we're
very
transparent
with
each
other.
If
she
doesn't
like
something
I'm
doing,
she
lets
me
know
and
vice
versa.
In
an
industry
where
friendships
don't
last
even
for
months,
ours
has
continued
for
over
a
decade.
Priyanka's
still
a
close
friend.
But
I'm
grateful
to
Katrina
for
stepping
in...
She's
my
closest
friend
in
Mumbai,
we
come
from
similar
middleclass
backgrounds,''
Ali
said.
Ali
also
praised
Katrina
Kaif
and
said,
''She
told
me
it's
one
of
my
best
scripts
and
she'd
do
anything
to
be
a
part
of
the
film.
She's
done
a
phenomenal
job.
She's
grown
as
an
actor,
has
a
better
command
over
the
language
now.
She
was
loved
in
Mere
Brother
Ki
Dulhan,
Tiger
Zinda
Hai
and
even
her
performance
in
Zero
was
well
received.
She's
in
top
form
and
the
maturity
she
has
brought
to
Madam
Sir's
character
is
commendable.
There
were
times
when
on
the
sets,
Salman
would
take
me
to
a
corner
and
say,
"Sir,
yeh
scene
to
Katrina
le
gayi,
ab
mujhe
kuch
karna
padega."
(Laughs)
We
are
both
very
fond
of
her
and
together
in
a
happy
space,
so
he
can
crack
such
jokes.''