Suneel Darshan recalls first meeting with Priyanka Chopra for 'Barsaat'; says ‘Yeh kaunsi heroine ki tarah hogi?’"

Suneel Darshan, who introduced Priyanka Chopra in his film 'Barsaat' alongside Akshay Kumar and Lara Dutta, recently shared how it all began. While promoting his upcoming film 'Andaaz 2' in an interview, recalled meeting Priyanka for the first time. He said she didn’t fit the typical image of a Bollywood heroine like Kareena or Karisma Kapoor, but there was something unique about her that stood out. That’s how she ended up being the lead in 'Barsaat'.

Priyanka to lead opposite Lara Dutta

When asked how he decided to cast Priyanka opposite Lara in 'Barsaat', Suneel Darshan shared with Bollywood Bubble, “She came to meet me with her secretary/manager, Prakash Jaju. Haan. So since I got a call from my accountant, you know, from the reception, asking me to come down, it was right here. And my cabin was upstairs. So I asked him to come in, and he said, ‘I’ve brought this girl along, I want to introduce you to her.’ I was looking at her and I said, ‘Oh… she’s not a conventional heroine.’ Woh conventional heroine nahi thi, woh ek alag si lagti thi. Hamari jo typical heroines hoti thi, Karisma, Kareena — unka ek alag look, ek alag approach hota tha.”

Describing the look

“Yeh wheatish toh nahi kahunga… chocolate-ish thi, thodi darker tones mein thi. Toh maine socha, ‘Okay, guest hai.’ Phir Miss World jeeti. I said, ‘Chalo, baith ke baat toh karte hain.’ Kaam karein na karein, let’s at least talk, let’s try, let’s discover. What she showed instantly was respect. Maine use bithaya, do teen minute baat ki — mujhe uski awaaz bohot achhi lagi. Aur thoda aur jab conversation stretch hua, toh jo tareeka tha jismein woh aankhon se baat karti thi, she knew how to captivate you. That’s the word I’ll use: captivate. And within 15 minutes, I kept thinking, ‘Yeh kaunsi heroine ki tarah hogi?’ Then I said, ‘Oh… Rekha ji. Aane waale kal mein yeh Rekha ban sakti hai.'” he added.

Suneel reflects on casting in 'Barsaat'

The producer shared that while everyone on his team believed Lara would be the standout, and she indeed brought grace and professionalism to the set, Priyanka ultimately proved to be something entirely different. He felt she had a unique presence that set her apart and believed she went on to become an icon for the newer generations—something that, in his view, made her journey even more remarkable.

About the film

'Barsaat' is a 1995 Hindi romantic action film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. It marked the acting debuts of Bobby Deol and Twinkle Khanna, who played the lead roles in the movie.