Priyanka Chopra ends rift with Arpita Khan; reveals Malti and Salman Khan's niece Ayat are 'besties'

After years of rumored tension between Priyanka Chopra and Salman Khan's sister Arpita Khan, it seems the former best friends have reconciled, and now, even their daughters are bonding.

On Tuesday, Priyanka shared an adorable reel on her Instagram story featuring her daughter, Malti Marie Chopra Jonas, playing with Arpita Khan Sharma's daughter, Ayat Sharma (Salman Khan's niece). In the clip, the little girls are seen holding hands, walking around the house, and chatting sweetly. Malti carries a toy while Ayat walks beside her.

Priyanka captioned the post: "So good seeing you @arpitakhansharma. Our girls are such besties."

This heartwarming interaction comes nearly six years after a fallout between Priyanka and Salman Khan, which reportedly created distance between Priyanka and Arpita as well. Priyanka was initially set to star in Bharat opposite Salman, but she exited the project abruptly, sparking controversy.

Despite the chatter and headlines, Salman later clarified that Priyanka left the film due to her engagement and upcoming wedding. In an old interview with the Bombay Times, Salman said, "She called Arpita a thousand times and even told Ali Abbas Zafar, 'See if you can get me something in this film.'"

Salman had even agreed to work around Priyanka's schedule. While it was said that Priyanka exited the film because of her engagement with Nick, rumours were also rife that the actor was prioritising the film Cowboy Ninja Viking, in which she was supposed to star opposite Chris Pratt. However, the film was later shelved.

Reacting to the same, Salman had said, "Not doing this had to be because of the wedding or because she doesn't want to work with me anymore. It could also be because she doesn't want to work in humari industry (Bollywood) or wants to work only in Hollywood. Whatever she wants to do, I wish her all the best in life. We are glad that she is engaged and happy." Priyanka and Salman had earlier worked in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004).

PeeCee and Arpita's friendship

Priyanka and Arpita once shared a close friendship. Arpita was frequently seen with Priyanka at events and even visited her when her son Ahil was born. In turn, Arpita attended Priyanka and Nick Jonas's wedding in 2018.

Priyanka's personal life

Priyanka married singer Nick Jonas in a lavish ceremony in India, and the couple welcomed their daughter, Malti, via surrogacy in January 2022.

Work front

Priyanka is basking in the success of her recently released film, Heads of State, opposite John Cena. She is reportedly part of SS Rajamouli's upcoming project SSMB26 alongside Mahesh Babu, although her role hasn't been officially confirmed. She also stars in The Bluff, where she will portray a 19th-century Caribbean pirate.