In 2015, Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma clashed on the ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ set over Darshan Kumar.

On film sets, tensions between lead actors aren’t unheard of, especially in an industry like Bollywood where personalities and egos can clash. While such incidents were far more common in the 90s, when filmmakers often reportedly avoided casting two leading actresses together, by 2015, the landscape had changed considerably. Still, even in modern cinema, sparks can occasionally fly.

One such moment occurred during the shooting of Dil Dhadakne Do, starring Anushka Sharma and Priyanka Chopra. Both actresses portrayed strong, independent characters in the film and shared the screen effortlessly, at least on camera.

But off-screen, a disagreement reportedly took place between the two, and the unexpected cause of this was actor Darshan Kumar.

Different Experiences With Darshan Kumar

Darshan Kumar had previously worked with both actresses, with Priyanka Chopra in Mary Kom and with Anushka Sharma in NH10. According to him, the friction stemmed from the vastly different experiences they had with him on their respective projects.

Priyanka Chopra, having worked with him before in Mary Kom, found Darshan Kumar to be “sweet-natured, hardworking, and a talented actor”. Anushka Sharma, on the other hand, likely influenced by his intense antagonist role in NH10, said, “Where? I haven’t seen anyone ruder than him.”

Misunderstanding Cleared Up

Though tensions flared due to the clash of opinions between the two actresses on the Dil Dhadakne Do set, it was eventually resolved. Darshan Kumar later explained that his intense role in NH10 required him to stay in character, which meant he often remained distant and didn’t greet Anushka Sharma during filming. He recalled only interacting with her after the film’s climax.

“It was part of my process”, he admitted in a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble. “She didn’t know I was staying in character. Maybe she thought I had an attitude.” He also added, that Anushka Sharma even joked with someone, saying, “I will rod him properly in the climax!”

Fortunately, the misunderstanding was cleared up during the film’s promotions in Delhi. Anushka Sharma eventually warmed to Darshan Kumar, realising the so-called ‘rudeness’ was actually method acting. “She changed her view and found me quite cute”, he added.