At a recent award show, Priyanka Chopra surprised everyone by reciting self-written shayiris in praise of the bollywood divas

Priyanka Chopra has been more in news recently for her link-ups with Shahid Kapur, but very few people know that she's a budding poetess too.

At a recent women's awards show, Priyanka paid tribute to three senior actresses, Saira Banu, Hema Malini and Madhuri Dixit, by writing a couplet for each of them.

Apparently Priyanka didn't want just a normal song-and-dance routine. A source present at the awards, said, "Priyanka was not happy with the script given by the organisers. Time was running out and the show was about to start.

So she sat with Rowena Baweja, the conceptualiser of the awards and penned down shayiris for all the three B-town divas. In just about an hour, Priyanka put the shayiris together. She also did the voice over for the audio-visuals."

Says a source close to Priyanka, "Priyanka loves writing shayiris and has been writing them for a long time. Recently, she has rediscovered Rumi and Ghalib. Over the past year or so Priyanka has been quietly writing poetry when she feels like it.

She doesn't talk much about it as it is a very private part of her life."

But the actress hasn't been able to write much though. Priyanka's friend said, "Priyanka hasn't had much of a chance in the past few years to pen her poetry because she's been working hard.

She's doing films and endorsements and it is difficult to pen sensitive stuff with so many things happening. This is the first time that she has come out and recited the couplets on stage."

Priyanka's shayiris

Hema Malini
Kehta hain jo khwaab nahin dekhte,
Woh zindagi nahin jitey,
Aur khwaab tabhi khubsurat hotey hain,
Jab unmein khwabon ki mallika rehti hain

Madhuri Dixit
Ek aisi abhinetri jo kuch na keh kar apne andaaz se sab kuch keh jaati hain,
Ek do teen ki ginti aap se hi shuru hoti hain aur aap pe hi khatam ho jaati hain

Saira Banu
Aap aurat ka woh roop hain jo shairon ko majboor kar deta hai
Ki aurat ke baare mein
Usse kali keh ke, phool kehke, mukhatib kiya jaaye
Kashmir ki kali

Rakesh Kapoor, the tenant, and others were booked under the IPC sections related to forgery and cheating by suburban Oshiwara police last month, deputy police commissioner KMM Prasanna said today.

According to the police, Kapoor stays in a flat owned by Priyanka in Sky Oberoi Heights building in Andheri.

Kapoor`s tenancy agreement was to end on December 31 and the actor had sent him a notice a month earlier asking him to vacate the flat.

However, Kapoor refused to vacate the flat, and asked the actor to renew the agreement. He also told the actor that they had no option but to renew the agreement and stated that if she intended to sell the flat, the first preference should be given to him, police said.

Subsequently, the actor`s father Ashok Chopra filed a complaint. Inquiry revealed that Kapoor had in fact forged the documents.

Kapoor and other accused have filed anticipatory bail application, which will be heard by the sessions court soon, police said.

On Sunday night, at a fashion show, Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra were the hot topic of conversation because the Anjaana Anjaani co-stars pointedly ignored each other in the green room.

Says an eyewitness at the fashion show who was present backstage, "Before walking the ramp, all the celebrities (Karan Johar, Shilpa Shetty, Manish Malhotra, Sameera Reddy, Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Tusshar Kapoor and Prateik) were together backstage and there was chatter and laughter all around. Except Ranbir and PC - they didn't talk at all."

The source adds that though Ranbir was friendly, he appeared very tense and preoccupied about something.

"Everyone was cheering each other. Priyanka, Karan, Manish and Ranbir stood near the monitor and watched others walk the ramp, but even then, there was not a word exchanged. They were both behaving as though the other was invisible.

PC was seen chatting with her Don director Farhan and her Krrish hero Hrithik but pointedly kept a distance from RK. One was left wondering what has gone wrong between the two actors."

Says an insider, "Ranbir and Priyanka had shared a special relationship during the shooting of their film, and that hadn't gone down well with Katrina Kaif and Shahid Kapoor (their respective partners) so they are now giving each other the cold shoulder."

Both actors remained unavailable for comment.

After raiding the homes of Priyanka Chopra, income tax officials say they have found that Priyanka Chopra did not disclose income worth six crores to save on her taxes. Sources also say that the raids have uncovered another 1.5 crores of undisclosed income for her father, Ashok Chopra.

Ms Chopra was raided on Monday along with Katrina Kaif.

In a statement to NDTV, Priyanka Chopra's spokesperson said "We deny the many malicious rumors being spread in the media on the basis of some unidentified sources. We are extending all cooperation to the Income Tax authorities on their ongoing investigations and are restraining ourselves from commenting any further on the issue, pending completion of the investigative process."

Shahid Kapoor cancelled all his appointments yesterday. And waited impatiently till the afternoon for Priyanka Chopra to arrive from Malaysia.

This superstar couple who are drawn to each other, but who will not make their feelings public, spent Valentine's together.

Shahid was in Bangalore three days ago where he flew the F-16 aircraft for Mausam.

And PC shot a sequence with Shah Rukh Khan in Malaysia for Don-2. But an insider says that both stars had made a pact that they will reach Mumbai on February 14 for their Valentine's Day date. PC had an event to attend in the evening. "After that she rushed out to meet Shahid," said a friend of the couple.

Agencies Posted: Feb 15, 2011 at 1240 hrs IST

In Bollywood's most 'lethal' Valentines Day celebration, actress Priyanka Chopra enumerated seven ways to lose one's Valentine.

"There are seven ways to lose your Valentine, in this box," Priyanka said, after unveiling the press kit, which contained a rope, a syringe, a knife, a bottle of 'poison', a sachet of 'potassium cyanide', an ice pick and a strip of Vigora tablets, used for treating male erectile dysfunction. "This is a gift, which you, as a boyfriend, can give your girlfriend, if you want to," the sultry actress, who had donned 12 different looks in 'Whats Your Rashee', said, at a promotional event for Vishal Bhardwaj's '7 Khoon Maaf', at a suburban luxury hotel on February 14 night.

'7 Khoon Maaf' is based on Ruskin Bond's short story 'Susanna's Seven Husbands' and releases this Friday. Priyanka Chopra essays Susanna who slays seven of her husbands one by one, in her never-ending quest to find love. "This is such a romantic gift we have given you. Now, who does that," Priyanka cooed, asking media persons not to open the box immediately.

It was but natural that when the occasion was Valentines Day and it was Priyanka taking the queries, media was eager to know about her 'friendship' with co-actor Shahid Kapoor. Asked about Shahid, Priyanka, sporting a mischievous grin, quipped: "What about him?....my date is with you."

It was then left to Bhardwaj to 'certify' the relationship when he said Bollywood has seen many hit pairs like Raj Kapoor-Nargis, Amitabh Bachchan-Rekha and Shahid Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra. This sent Priyanka into peals of laughter.

The Priyanka Chopra starrer 7 Khoon Maaf, which also stars John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan and Annu Kapoor, will release this Friday.

February 15, 2011 07:08:42 PM IST

Priyanka Chopra, who will soon be seen be killing 7 husbands in Vishal Bharadwaj's 7 KHOON MAAF, states that her character is not negative.

"I'm not playing a negative character in the film. Isiliye mujhe 7 Khoon Maaf hain," said the pretty actress.

So did she feel any remorse while killing any of the husbands in the film? She quips, "I didn't feel sad at all while killing my husbands. I have always broken hearts. It's my habit. I'm very romantic. I even kill with love. It's beautifully romantic to die in the arms of the person you love."

The highly anticipated 7 KHOON MAAF releases on 18th February.

It's not been an easy month for Priyanka Chopra. The onus of constant promotions and marketing of her new film has fallen solely on her shoulders and that has taken its toll on her nerves. Priyanka, say people close to her, has turned snappy.

Given her habitual savour-fair and characteristic composure, it came as a shock to know that the actress got into a heated verbal duel with a man in Delhi who was out to rattle her.

That he succeeded in doing so is indicative of how anxious and nervous Priyanka has become about holding on to the formidable position of being one of the few leading ladies today who can prop up a film on her shoulders. Also, it was her identity that was being repeatedly questioned.

The incident happened in Delhi on Tuesday (Feb 15) evening at the recording of a lengthy interactive interview in Delhi. A man, apparently from Punjab, piped in to accuse Priyanka of "not being a Punjabi".

Says a member of the actress's entourage, "Priyanka was taken aback by the accusation. At first, she laughed it off saying she is very much a Punjabi. But the man kept piping in loudly that she had done nothing for Punjab or Punjabis. Priyanka, finally, told him to shut up and quit."

The man disappeared from the venue soon after, but only after having spoilt the milieu and mood irreversible with his malevolent chauvinism.

Priyanka, known to be extremely warm to fans, was hurt by the vehemence of the accusation. The spokesperson for Saat Khoon Maaf confirmed the ugly incident.

"It was weird and inopportune, Priyanka's Punjabiyat had nothing to do with the occasion. We don't know where the man came from and where he disappeared. But the whole incident was suspicious," he said.

Priyanka's father is a Punjabi while her mother is from Jharkhand.

Priyanka spent her growing years in Rai Bareilly in UP. This is the first time her Punjabi antecedents were questioned, and that too in full public view. She is far from amused.

The disappointing reception to 7 Khoon Maaf has had a domino effect on Priyanka Chopra's career and emotional life

Posted On Friday, February 25, 2011 at 03:10:24 AM

Bollywood is a natural catastrophe-prone zone, a hazard that dawn on every Friday of the week.

The lukewarm reception and box-office disappointment of 7 Khoon Maaf has particularly taken a toll on its star Priyanka Chopra.

Not only is she not going to be seen in Vishal Bhardwaj's next, but the actress has also escaped the backlash by taking the first flight out of Bombay, to the United States. Some are calling it an 'emotional rehab'.

The director of 7 Khoon Maaf, Vishal Bhardwaj, and actress Priyanka Chopra seemed like a perfect director-and-muse combination with the success of Kaminey (2009).

However, 7 Khoon Maaf turned out to be a commercial and critical turkey; Bhardwaj didn't transform into India's Hitchcock and Chopra could not become its Janet Leigh or Kim Novak.

Pre-7KM Chops was the only name on Bhardwaj's list for his adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's bestseller 2 States, starring Shah Rukh Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiawala.

This now has changed. Bhardwaj and Nadiawala are now going a different direction, opening up the role to other possible actresses.

A source tells us, "Bhardwaj's favourite, Priyanka was a hot contender but she has just delivered a dud with him.

She was finalized for the part since SRK and she get along like a house on fire but after 7 Khoon Maaf, she is out of the race.

It is now a toss-up mainly between Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, the latter having a slight edge. It might even be even Deepika Padukone or Asin, but it certainly won't be Priyanka."

When questioned which of the four actresses stands a chance, Nadiawala tells us, "I'm not saying anything at the moment.

Yes, it could be any of the names mentioned by you. Now that Vishal has finished his last project, he is ready to focus completely on 2 States. We will soon take a call."

There is speculation that Chops flew to the States (now that she is out of 2 States) to also overcome another disappointment: Sasha is also fully out of her life, they say. When contacted, Chopra's manager, Chand Mishra, tells us, "Priyanka has gone to the US for a holiday.

There is no other reason for this visit." But considering that tomorrow is her beau Sasha's birthday we can't help but think that there is more to this trip.

Another source says, "She wondered what went wrong. She had no answers. She decided to go to the US where she has her cousins.

A little introspection was required. Basically, she wanted to lie low for a while."

A friend of Chopra defends her and says, "It's okay that she did not get rave reviews. The silver lining is that now she will not be put into an arty bracket, which might limit her opportunities. Besides, she has three other commercial films like Don 2, Krrish 2 and Agneepath coming up."

Kapoor has invited 125 guests for his birthday bash, a list that included Mubina Rattonsey, Karan Johar, Ritesh Deshmukh and others.

Reportedly, there has been some trouble in paradise between the two, which is a huge change from last year at Kapoor's birthday bash, when Chopra was seen in chirpier spirits, playing the perfect hostess to all their guests. A little trip to the Grand Canyon might just do the trick. Wait a minute…

mumbaimirror.com

Priyanka Chopra wants more time to get into the deaf and dumb character of UTV and Anurag Basu’s joint venture, Barfee

Posted On Tuesday, March 08, 2011 at 02:34:04 AM

Anurag Basu’s directorial venture, Barfee, was to go on floors on March 10.

However, Priyanka Chopra has asked for an additional 10 days to get into character before commencing shooting.

Our source from the unit tells us, “Anurag is aware that Barfee is a difficult film to make. The characters of all the three lead actors Ranbir, Priyanka and Illeana are extremely challenging.

So, when Priyanka Chopra asked for some more days to get into the skin of the character, Anurag readily agreed.

The film was scheduled to start on March 10. However it has now been pushed to March 20.”

The source adds, “It is not a big delay but it still is a delay nonetheless. Priyanka felt that she needed time with Anurag to do workshops to work on her looks and expressions for the film.

She also wanted to know how she will be presented, considering she plays a deaf and dumb character.”

Siddharth Roy Kapur of UTV and Anurag Basu remained unavailable for comment.

Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone are all vying for the lead role in the filmmaker's blockbuster franchise Dhoom 3

Posted On Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 04:01:28 AM

As they say, in Bollywood you are as good as your last film and the rule applies to filmmakers too. Following his blockbuster successes with the Dhoom series, Aditya Chopra is emerging as a superpower amidst Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.

Like a moth to a flame, Chopra has attracted the attention of B-town’s leading ladies for the coveted lead role in his film, Dhoom 3.

A source tells us, “With Aamir Khan coming on board to play the villain in the film, all the leading ladies are even more enticed to be a part of Dhoom 3.

The ladies in contention are Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif. Although, none of the three actresses have ever worked with Aamir, they are Aditya Chopra’s favourites.

While Priyanka Chopra did the Chopra clan a favour featuring opposite Uday in Pyaar Impossible (2010), Deepika Padukone worked with them on a couple of films. However, Katrina Kaif seems to be leading on Adi’s favourite list.

All the three actresses are leaving no stone unturned to impress Adi and are trying to subtly convey their eagerness to get the role.”

Another source informs us, “Katrina seems to be winning the race followed by Priyanka and then Deepika.

The leading lady of Dhoom 3 needs to don a bikini and be at her sexiest best. All three actresses have expressed their desire to be a part of the film. Adi is taking keen interest to cast the right girl, along with the writer-director Vijay Krishna Acharya.”

We wonder who of the three will actually win the race, unless Chopra decides to cast a new debutant actress, like he did with Anushka Sharma in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi(2008).

When contacted, the YRF spokesperson tells us, “This is mere conjecture. As mentioned in more than one clarification, we haven’t begun casting beyond those announced Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra. You will need to wait for our announcement.”

Posted On Monday, April 11, 2011 at 03:41:24 AM

A chance encounter at Yashraj Studios between Adnan Sami and Priyanka Chopra turned out to be rather uncomfortable, when Adnan's wisecrack about the recent income-tax raid at the actoress's house did not amuse her.

A source explained, "When Adnan ran into Priyanka, he greeted her warmly and thanked her. The actress wanted to know what she was being thanked for.

Adnan said, 'Thank you for diverting the attention of the financial powers from my case for a while.' But, Priyanka didn't appreciate the humour aimed at her recent income-tax raids.

She is quite touchy about the raids and got upset."

The source further added, "Although Adnan seemed to crack up at his own joke, Priyanka looked far from amused and walked away in a huff."

When contacted, Adnan tried to make light of the incident, saying, "It was nothing really. Priyanka and I have been friends for years. When we met, I made a joke. I think laughing off setbacks is the best and only way to keep going in life."

It is about time Priyanka realised that laughter is the best medicine.

Priyanka Chopra made heads turn at a suburban mall when she walked in with a friend in tow on Monday afternoon. The actress, who got a break from the Agneepath shoot, wanted to check out some DVDs and books. Wearing casuals, PC was her jolly self as she walked into a store and started browsing around.

Onlookers were surprised to see how warm and affectionate she was. Instead of calling for security or asking for the shop to be shut down, the actress mingled with the public and continued shopping. A source reveals that she picked up some movies and a couple of books on poetry. We think other actresses should take a cue from PC and leave their starry wings aside.

Mumbai, April 25 : Director Maneesh Shrama says that Priyanka Chopra didn't suggest her cousin Parineeti's name for "Ladies V/S Ricky Bahl".

"Parineeti is a story in itself. It's not that Priyanka suggested her name. She was working with the marketing department of Yash Raj films. When I got my script for 'Ladies V/S Ricky Bahl', for one part I thought she'll be very good. So I asked her if she would be interested," Sharma told IANS.

"She said yes, but I told her that she would have to audition for it, which she did keenly and excitedly and she was pretty good. So that's how she came on board. She is a remarkable talent," he added.

"Ladies V/S Ricky Bahl" is a romantic comedy, where a smooth and charming conman, Ricky Bahl, cons girls for a living but finally meets his match.

Produced by Aditya Chopra, the film stars Anushka Sharma, Dipannita Sharma, Aditi Sharma and Ranveer Singh

Priyanka Chopra’s mother who has been using their former residence as an office has been asked to shut shop by the society

Vickey Lalwani
Freakin' Awesome! Freakin' Awesome! Freakin' Awesome! Freakin' Awesome! Freakin' Awesome!

Posted On Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 04:07:08 AM

Priyanka Chopra and her family have been caught in a rather ironical situation. We commonly hear celebrities complaining about their privacy being invaded, however this time around, Priyanka’s mother Madhu has been invading the privacy of her neighbours.
Even though the family shifted to Raheja Classique on Yari Road, Andheri, the Chopra family, who were residents of the Nav Karan Society in Lokhandwala, Andheri, have still kept their two apartments.

Priyanka’s mother Madhu Chopra has been ordered to shut her office in Nav Karan apartments (below)
Since Madhu operates an office from the 4th floor apartment (Flat no 403), she has several visitors over, which has become a nuisance for the other residents of the society. Angered by the disruption of their comfort and privacy, the residents have unanimously decided to order Madhu to shut down her office.

A society office member, on request of anonymity, told us, “The Chopras have a flat on the 9th floor as well but that’s not used as an office and so we have no problem with that. But yeh office bahut problem create kar rahi hai.”

Reportedly, the Secretary of Nav Karan Society, Navin Kumar, visited Priyanka’s office to convey the decision of the society. The building official revealed, “He was told by a staff member that Madhu and Ashok are not in town.”

When contacted, Kumar confirmed, “Yes, the building authorities have asked me to speak to the Chopras in the matter which you are talking about.”

The irritation towards the Chopra family precipitated when the Income Tax Department raided the family’s house on January 23.

The society member added, “As a policy, the Income Tax officials, who raided Priyanka’s office in Nav Karan, asked the building’s security officers to shut off their mobiles and other transmission equipments.

This, in turn, made the security of the building almost redundant during the three-day period. It became very inconvenient for the whole security system to operate smoothly.”

While Madhu could not be contacted on her mobile, a staff member called Deepika answered Priyanka’s father Dr Ashok Chopra’s number. She told us, “Yes, we are aware of this matter. Right now, Dr Ashok and Madhu are on holiday in the UK.

I shall talk to them and get back to you.” However, she did not revert back later.