Priyanka Chopra is a very talented actress, Akshay!

They were very close at one point, but ever since rumours of their affair surfaced in 2004, both Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra have studiously avoided working together.

While many filmmakers have attempted and failed to cast them together after that, Akshay’s recent statement had given them some hope. Akshay told the media, “Priyanka is a very talented actor and we have delivered a number of hits together.

The biggest of them were Andaaz and Aitraaz. Then we also did Waqt, which was both critically acclaimed and also a box office success. Let’s not dwell in the past. We are both professionals. When the right script comes along, I won’t have any qualms in working with her again.” But the truth is that while Priyanka may be open to the idea of sharing screen space with Akshay again, the actor seems determined to keep his distance. Priyanka had been all but signed for Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan, but things got derailed at the last minute.

Farah Khan was seriously considering Priyanka as the female lead opposite Akshay when she got feelers that he wasn’t very comfortable with the idea of working with Priyanka. A source close to the film says, “Akshay and Farah sat down and had a long chat about the matter. Akshay told Farah that it would be best if someone else was chosen instead of Priyanka since he would not be comfortable working with her. Farah was worried because she didn’t want any unnecessary complications during the making of the film.”

The source adds that Farah thought about the matter for a few days before coming to a decision. And then she reviewed the audition tapes of some new girls who were vying for the role. “She finally decided that a newcomer was not a viable proposition.

She zeroed down on Katrina, who is one of the few actresses who is on the same level as Priyanka. Even Akshay was cool about Katrina’s selection. They have a fabulous equation with each other and have also given several hits in the past together.”