Two of Bollywood’s ace directors are having a verbal duel over the Best Actress award won by actress Priyanka Chopra.

Latest news has it that director Madhur Bhandarkar is fuming at Ashutosh Gowariker’s comments on Priyanka Chopra not being the right choice for ‘Best Actress’ when Aishwarya Rai was nominated in the same category

Priyanka Chopra bagged the award for Bhandarkar’s ‘Fashion’ while Aishwarya was nominated for ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ at a recent award function.

According to latest news, when Ashutosh Gowariker was called on stage to collect the best director award for ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, he pompously said, “Priyanka I Love You, but I don’t know how you got the award for Best Actress when Aishwarya was also nominated in the same category for ‘Jodhaa Akbar’”. Priyanka bore the insult silently but Bhandarkar was livid at the remark.

Madhur Bhandarkar made his displeasure clear by saying, “I’m shocked by what Ashutosh had to say. We’re friends and I admire his work. More than us, our wives are very close friends. If he felt this way he should’ve shared it with Priyanka, and me not spoilt the golden moment for her on stage. Priyanka got every popular award. Doesn’t that prove she deserves it?”

Priyanka is working for Gowariker’s ‘What’s Your Raashee’ and the displeasing remark has left her dejected. According to a source, she shunned the post event party and was heard saying, “I don’t want to go there and see his face”.

According to a source, “It’s not a good time for Priyanka. ‘What’s Your Raashee’ is the toughest role of her career. Priyanka not only had to enact twelve parts she also had to assemble all twelve parts on the screen together for the climax. It sapped her. She even fainted on the sets. And now after having won every single popular award for ‘Fashion’ it’s a shame that she was publicly told that she didn’t deserve the award, and that too from her own director. Anyway Priyanka is a professional. She hasn’t allowed her breakup with Hurman to affect her on-screen chemistry with him. She won’t let this incident sour her. In fact, she jokingly told a friend she hopes to be back at the awards with ‘Raashee.’”