Mumbai, Aug 9 (NationPress) Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra Jonas, recently featured in the streaming hit ‘Heads of State’, has reflected on her unique journey to landing the role of Jhilmil in the beloved film ‘Barfi’.

On Saturday, she took to Instagram to share a captivating video showcasing various scenes from ‘Barfi’. In her caption, she recounted nearly missing out on the role because director Anurag Basu struggled to envision her as an autistic character, having seen her all glammed up.

She recounted, “In January 2009, while shooting ‘Anjaana Anjaani’ in New York alongside Ranbir Kapoor, he mentioned his upcoming project, Barfi!, directed by the talented Anurag Basu. I was overjoyed when he offered me the role of Jhilmil. We met at my home in Mumbai, and I had just returned from an event, dressed to the nines. He looked at me and said he couldn’t see me as Jhilmil. I understood his concerns; I didn’t want to disappoint either of us. We decided to workshop for five days.”

Priyanka shared a liberating experience during the workshop where she had to hurl Hindi expletives at the director, stating, “We delved into research, watched videos, met children on the autism spectrum, and engaged in various exercises at his office in Aram Nagar. One day, he asked me to throw vile Hindi expletives at him. Although I was mortified, it turned out to be hilarious and liberating, pushing me out of my comfort zone. After several more ‘Basu-style’ drills, Jhilmil was brought to life. Most scenes involving Barfi and Jhilmil were improvised.”

She added, “He shared an idea, and we ran with it. This was also one of the last times my father visited me on set. Barfi! is one of my dearest films due to the creativity, the wonderful crew, and the joy of overcoming challenges together. Ravi Varman’s cinematography was pure poetry, beautiful Ileana D’Cruz brought grace to Shruti, and Ranbir truly shone. Anurag Sir is brilliant, gentle, and playful; his storytelling is magic.”

“We filmed over two years with breaks, uncertain if audiences would embrace it. They did beyond our wildest dreams. The love for Jhilmil has remained with me ever since. On this nostalgic Saturday, I felt compelled to share. What have you been reminiscing about lately?” she concluded.

'Barfi', Anurag's tribute to cinema, was also submitted as India's official entry for the Oscars, but unfortunately, it did not make it to the shortlist.