Priyanka Chopra: Mary Kom is like a junglee bachcha

When Priyanka Chopra gave her nod to Mary Kom, she knew of MC Mary Kom only as an Olympic medalist and not as a five-time successive World Boxing champion.
“I felt stupid and ill-informed. Rocky was also a five-time champion and everybody knew that. So, Mary’s story needed to be told,” says Priyanka. The most difficult part for the actress was documenting the boxer’s personality. To gain insight into her life, she met the champion sporadically over two years and even visited her hometown.She went to her school, church, gym... “I also opened her cupboards, checked out her bathroom and kids’ rooms (laughs). We eventually became friends. She sent me a dress from Manipur, which I wore in the film. Sometimes, I’d call her before doing a difficult scene,” says Priyanka, who was trained by Mary Kom’s coach.
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To stay true to Mary’s personality, PeeCee replicated everything — from her hairstyle to her ‘peculiar laughter’. “Mary is a junglee bachcha. She was shouting at everybody when I met her for the first time. I wanted that aggression to come across,” says Priyanka, adding, “I was nervous the day she saw the film. And now that the girl I’m representing has said ‘Waah, waah’, my responsibility is over.” Mary believes that Priyanka is best suited for the role as they are similar. “Priyanka said people find her tomboyish, although she isn’t like that. Everyone at home would call me a tomboy as I’d often dress like a boy, but I’m not a tomboy,” she reveals. Touched to have a biopic based on her, she says, “It’s strange that everybody will know about my life. When I’m gone, my children and grandchildren will get to see the ups and downs of my journey.” Mary Kom, produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, releases September 5.
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