Journalist Bharati Pradhan’s book Priyanka Chopra: The Dark Horse is already springing some delicious surprises. A chapter from the book reveals the episode that drove a wedge between the stunner and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Apparently, debutant director Omung Kumar was very keen on roping in Priyanka for the biopic on Olympic champion boxer Mary Kom, which Bhansali would produce. However, there had been a twist in the tale...

Fact is, before Mary Kom could take off, Bhansali had begun shooting his Romeo and Juliet style love saga, Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela. Now this film, which released in 2013, had originally been planned with Ranveer Singh and Kareena Kapoor in the lead. However, for reasons of her own Kareena quit before the film could roll, leaving Bhansali in a fix. His large and lavish set was ready and standing, the shooting schedule was completely planned and here he was, minus a heroine.

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In his hour of need, he approached Priyanka Chopra. She didn’t think twice and came on board. However, that was not to be. Soon before filming started, there was another surprise in store: Sanjay Bhansali replaced Priyanka with Deepika at the last moment.
Naturally, this left Priyanka shocked and furious. Bhansali’s breach of trust was hurtful in the extreme. She snapped ties with him. However, when it came to Mary Kom, she proved she could swallow her hurt and move on.

Bhansali himself has spoken about how Priyanka went on to do the stunning item number ‘Ram chahe Leela…’ in Ram-Leela. “When creative people get together, it's important they realize that what they're creating is more important than you or me,” he explains. “Then came Mary Kom and I realized that this was a film she should do and must do but (given the strained circumstances) whether she would or not...” He adds, “But she also understood that this was a separate film, an independent idea, not linked with the other film.” Summing up her attitude in a nutshell, Bhansali remarks, “She doesn't let go off opportunities.”

Mary Kom became a film which etched her power as a performer and in the end, nothing else matters.