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Actor Rajniesh Duggall, who holds the titles of Mr. India and Mr. International, was already a top model in the country when he signed Priyanka Chopra’s 2005 film Yakeen. However, his entry into the Hindi film industry faced a significant setback when Priyanka allegedly refused to star with him at the last moment because she didn’t want to work with a newcomer.
In a recent interaction with Siddharth Kannan, Rajniesh spoke about the experience of being dropped from what could have been his debut Hindi film and how it took a toll on him. He said, “I was the first choice for Yakeen, I was signed for the film. In fact, I was working on it. When I met director Girish Dhamija, he asked me, ‘When can you move to Mumbai?’ I was already planning to move to Mumbai. So, I got training from Girish ji himself; he is an alumnus of the National School of Drama and a dialect coach.”
Rajniesh Duggall also shared that the producer had already invested a lot in him, providing him with the best facilities like a Juhu penthouse, a chauffeur-driven car, and a cook. He underwent training for 2-2.5 months for the film.
“They signed a three-film deal with me. I had a double role in the film with Priyanka as the lead. They put me in a penthouse at Juhu 10th Road. They gave me a car and a driver. One call and a person would bring food to my flat. I was going to classes and fully preparing. I prepared for 2-2.5 months. I left brand endorsements of Siyaram, Vimal, and other companies to concentrate on the film,” he said.
Recalling the night he was dropped from the film, Rajniesh said, “Suddenly, the producer, Sujit Kumar Singh, called me to his office at night. He told me that Priyanka has become a big star in the time span since they had signed me and they had paid her for the bulk deal, now she is saying ‘I will not work with a newcomer.’ My first reaction was that change the girl because I only saw them putting money on me. I didn’t understand movie business at that time.”
Talking about Priyanka’s decision not to work with him, he said, “They said Priyanka wanted that, but I feel it could have been the managers or the people around her. I don’t blame her, but she was aware that I was doing the film. She could have said, ‘No, he will do it.’”
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