PC hopes that the audiences find Mala entertaining

Priyanka Chopra, who stars in the Zanjeer remake with south star Ram Charan Teja, says she hopes people find her character entertaining.
You have earlier been part of the remakes of Don and Agneepath. What is the best compliment you have got so far for a remake?
I’m just glad that I managed to create an impression with each of my characters in the remakes. I am grateful for the many compliments received and also the fact that audiences accepted the characters I essayed in Don and Agneepath.
After the culture shock that you gave people in Barfi!, is it more comfortable getting back to playing a glamorous character?
Not at all. Every role comes with its own challenges. Mala, my character in Zanjeer, is fun, glamorous and feisty and I just hope that the audience finds her entertaining, because that’s what she’s supposed to be.
You have shot simultaneously for the film’s Hindi (Zanjeer) and Telugu (Thoofan) versions. What sort of preparation does shooting in two languages require? Apart from the language, did you also have to do any mannerisms differently because of minor cultural nuances?
It is exactly as you described it – shooting the same film in two different languages. Most of the nuances and mannerisms stayed the same, as did my character, so it was really only acting out the scenes in two different languages.
How did you get in and out of the ‘Hindi’ and ‘Telugu’ atmosphere in your head?
We shot it back-to-back, so I had to constantly shift gears between Hindi and Telugu. It was a little confusing at first, but I got used to it fairly quickly, as we completed Zanjeer and Thoofan in 71 days, and I completed my part for both the films in 21 days. It’s pretty much the same scene re-enacted in a different language.
How has the experience of working with Ram Charan been? Is it different working with a star who, till now, is not so well known in other parts of the country?
It was great working with Ram. He is very focused but also very easy to work with. He is a huge star with a loyal fan base, but he’s very humble and great fun. Ram and his wife Upasna were also very gracious hosts, making us feel so much at home when we were shooting in Hyderabad.
How was it working with Apoorva Lakhia for the first time?
It was definitely an interesting experience. He’s very clear with what he wants, and that made the shoot very quick. Apoorva is also super fun and a great cook. In between takes, we were all just laughing and eating a lot! It was crazy.
Zanjeer (Thoofan in Telugu), produced by Reliance Entertainment, Puneet Prakash Mehra, Sumeet Prakash Mehra and Flying Turtle Films, and directed by Apoorva Lakhia, releases on September 6