Most of the scenes featuring Ranbir Kapoor’s Barfi and Priyanka Chopra’s Jhilmil in Anurag Basu’s 2012 film Barfi! were improvised, Priyanka revealed in a nostalgic note on Saturday, taking a look back at the shooting of the movie and moments spent on the sets.
“In Jan 2009, while filming ‘Anjaana Anjaani’ in New York with Ranbir Kapoor, he mentioned his next, Barfi! With Anurag Basu, a filmmaker I admired. So when Sir offered me Jhilmil, I was thrilled,” the Heads of State actress wrote alongside a montage of scenes from the 2012 film.
“We met at my Mumbai home, I’d just returned from an event, dressed to the nines. He took one look and said he couldn’t imagine me as Jhilmil. I understood, I didn’t want to mess it up either. We agreed to workshop for 5 days,” she added.
“We immersed ourselves in research, reading, watching videos, meeting children on the autism spectrum, and doing exercises in his Aram Nagar office. One day, he asked me to hurl vile Hindi expletives at him. Mortified, I still tried, it was hilarious, liberating, and pulled me out of my comfort zone. After more “Basu-style” drills, Jhilmil was born,” the 43-year-old actress added.
Priyanka further said that most scenes between her and Ranbir Kapoor were improvised on spot. “Most Barfi–Jhilmil scenes were improvised. Sir shared an idea, and we ran with it. This was also one of the last times my Dad visited me on set,” she wrote.
The actress said that Barfi! remains her most “treasured film” yet for its creativity, the crew and the joy of shared challenges. “Ravi Varman’s cinematography was pure poetry. Gorgeous Ileana D’Cruz brought such grace to Shruti, Ranbir shone like the star he is, and Anurag Sir, brilliant, gentle, playful. His storytelling is magic,” she wrote.
“We shot over two years with breaks, unsure if audiences would embrace it. They did beyond our dreams. The love for Jhilmil has stayed with me ever since,” Priyanka signed off.
Ranbir plays deaf-mute Murphy ‘Barfi’ Johnson in Anurag Basu’s Barfi!. His innocence wins over Shruti (Ileana D'Cruz) but their friendship ends in heartbreak as Barfi finds love and companionship in Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra), who belongs to the autistic spectrum.