Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; July 26, 2014)

On Friday night, Sanjay Leela Bhansali organised a surprise party for Priyanka Chopra, the lead actress in his film, Mary Kom. A source says, “Priyanka was in Turkey on her 32nd birthday and she couldn’t celebrate it with her loved ones here, so Bhansali thought of throwing a surprise bash for her. He even invited many actors who have worked with him and Priyanka in the past. Apart from the cast and crew of Mary Kom, Hrithik Roshan and Rekha too were present. This was also like a wrap- up party for the film’s crew.”

When contacted, Bhansali confirmed that he hosted a party for her. “Priyanka’s passion, her fire and the intensity with which she works and acts just makes her sparkle,” he said. The actress’s spokesperson says, “Priyanka had a working birthday this year, so Sanjay Leela Bhansali decided to host a party to celebrate the same. This is the first time that the filmmaker has done something like this for one of his actors.”