Global icon Priyanka Chopra recently took her fans on a nostalgic journey as she looked back at one of the most memorable films of her career — Barfi! (2012). Taking to Instagram, Priyanka shared a Reel of clips from the movie along with a long note detailing her journey of becoming Jhilmil, a role that remains etched in the hearts of audiences.
Priyanka revealed that she first heard about Barfi! in January 2009 while shooting Anjaana Anjaani in New York with co-star Ranbir Kapoor. When director Anurag Basu offered her the role of Jhilmil, she was thrilled, but he initially couldn’t picture her in the part. Determined to prove herself, she agreed to a five-day workshop. During this time, she immersed herself in research—meeting children on the autism spectrum, reading, watching reference videos, and engaging in creative exercises at Anurag Basu’s office.
One of her most vivid memories from the preparation phase was when Basu asked her to hurl Hindi expletives at him, a task she found mortifying at first but ultimately liberating. “Most Barfi–Jhilmil scenes were improvised,” she shared, crediting Basu’s playful style for pushing her out of her comfort zone.
Calling Barfi! one of her most treasured films, Priyanka praised Ravi Varman’s poetic cinematography, Pritam’s soulful soundtrack, Ileana D’Cruz’s grace as Shruti, Ranbir Kapoor’s stellar performance, and Anurag Basu’s magical storytelling. She also shared that her father visited her on set for one of the last times during the shoot.
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Along with her note, Priyanka posted a rare and emotional photo of her father cheerfully holding her award for Barfi! at the TOIFA 2013 ceremony in Vancouver. She wrote, “My win was his win… this was his last public appearance 3 months before he passed.”
Fans and fellow celebrities flooded the comments with love and admiration. One fan wrote, “This is the epitome of acting… Barfi! isn’t just a movie, it’s an emotion.” Another commented, “Playing the role was so unique, and you did it brilliantly.”
Released in 2012, Barfi! starred Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Ileana D’Cruz in lead roles. The film told a beautiful story of love and acceptance, with Ranbir playing a mute and deaf man and Priyanka portraying Jhilmil, an autistic woman. A critical and commercial success, it went on to win multiple awards and is still regarded as one of the finest films in Indian cinema.
