Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra Share 'Similar Mindsets'; Producer Claims 'We Treated Her So Badly, She Left...'

Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra appeared together in the Don franchise and a few special appearances, but many fans believe their on-screen pairing was never fully explored. Recently, producer Shailendra Singh spoke about their careers, noting that although the two stars chose very different paths, they share more similarities than is often acknowledged. In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Shailendra Singh was asked about Priyanka Chopra’s career and journey, especially since she and her contemporaries rose in the industry around the same time. He shared strong opinions on how Bollywood failed to present her as a true global face of Indian cinema.

Shailendra said that stars like Priyanka Chopra should have been the industry’s brand ambassadors, questioning why Bollywood lacks a clear representative voice. He pointed out that for years, Karan Johar has been seen as the face of Bollywood, and questioned whether that truly represents the industry. He also added that Priyanka was not valued or positioned the way she deserved to be.

The producer said, "Priyanka should have been the voice of Bollywood, but humne uski aisi durdasha ki (we treated her so badly) that she left the country. We let go of our smartest actress. I said this in that interview that Priyanka is three people. The brand, the person, and the actor. She was a firecracker of a woman and could have carried Bollywood's reputation globally. But she left; even Virat Kohli left the country. He plays a match, and then he leaves immediately."

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In the same conversation, Shailendra Singh also spoke about Shah Rukh Khan and his approach to his career. He noted that the actor’s deep understanding of both cinema and the business behind it has played a key role in his sustained success over the years.

He said, "If you see Shah Rukh, he is one of the most focused stars. He understands his work, and he knows who he is. He is aware what stardom is about, and he knows the cinema that he makes makes him. He understands the fact that he is cinema, and he is a silent operator. He is a thorough professional and never puts anyone down. Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan... Top people. I mean, wow! These are the people who should be ambassadors of our industry."

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Drawing comparisons between SRK and Priyanka, Shailendra said, "There are so like-minded. Similar personalities and attitude to business - no nonsense attitude. Both are supremely talented and they are very identical in the way they have handled their careers."