Mumbai: At a time when Vijay has been dogged by controversies surrounding his film ‘Jana Nayagan’ as well as his troubled married life, Priyanka Chopra recalled being in awe of the Tamil actor’s superstardom during her debut Tamil film ‘Thamizhan’.
Talking about her early acting days during a recent appearance on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, Priyanka shared: “It was a movie called Thamizhan in the Tamil language. I remember the film—I phonetically learned the language. It’s almost impossible to learn a completely new language that quickly. But it was my first exposure to fame through my co-actor. His name is Vijay, and
he is extremely popular.”
“I remember when he arrived on set, there would be hundreds of people standing there just to watch him. While he was dancing and acting, I was observing everything. It was my first film, and I had no idea what happened behind the scenes. I had only seen what we see in movie theatres,” the global star said.
“I remember thinking what a demigod-like feeling that must be. Especially in India, where people love movies and fans are incredibly giving,” Priyanka added.
Admitting that as an 18-year-old girl entering the world of showbiz, she wanted attention and adoration for herself, Priyanka said, “My relationship with the job was very naive because I thought it was about fame. Only after I started working did I realise that fame is just a byproduct of the job—it isn’t the job itself.”
In ‘Thamizhan’, Priyanka portrayed the character of college student Priya, who becomes part of a legal battle led by the protagonist. The film received mixed reviews and opened the doors of Bollywood for Priyanka.