Priyanka Chopra : She Dreamt of Conquering the World
Priyanka Chopra is one girl, who I can claim to have met even before the world knew who she is, before the simple lanky lass from Bareilly ended up winning the Miss India crown. It was at the launch of the small time actor turned director Attley Brar’s film Good Night Princess that I was introduced to her first. Pooja Batra was the other leading lady of the film. Though luckily for Priyanka, the film did not even see the light of the day, Priyanka has grown in stature, ever since her first film Andaaz was released.
By Jyothi Venkatesh
I still remember how almost eighteen years ago, Priyanka had rung her affable father Dr Ashok Chopra to tell him that she had met me at the mahurat of Good Night Princess in Mumbai. Her father had rung me up on my landline just to tell me that he was very thankful to me for having made his darling daughter comfortable in an alien city like Mumbai where she had come to take part in a shooting. How since then have times changed? The shy dark and dusky girl is today an international icon on her own merit. And whatever she has achieved till date is undisputedly hers alone without the help of any God father.
Priyanka is gung ho about the way her career has progressed over the last eighteen years. “I should say that it has been a very interesting journey for me as an actress ever since I had made my debut with Suneel Darshan’s Andaaz, considering the fact that I had no filmi background and I was also not from Mumbai, but from a small town like Bareilly. I did not know what acting was and I was far too young at that point of time.”
Priyanka reiterates that she is not at all a money – minded actress. “I work for the heart and not for the sake of money. To me, money is not the only criterion, when I take up a film because I do not do films for the sake of money. I would not say no to a film just because I do not get big money. If money is the sole criterion, I can always manage to get it by doing endorsements. However, it also does not mean that I would not charge my producer if he wants me to work in his film.”
It is interesting to note that Hollywood calls Priyanka Chopra their Most Bankable Badass!
The April cover of Marie Claire International last year paid tribute to the rebels, risk takers and power players and their unwavering renegade style. And who better than our very own Priyanka Chopra to represent that as she persistently proves that there is truly nothing she can’t do! Referring to her as “Hollywood’s Most Bankable Badass,” Marie Claire features Priyanka Chopra on the cover dressed in a fiery, fierce red ensemble. From presenting the Oscars and the Emmy’s, to being named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine, the highest paid actress with her talent, passion and drive truly exemplified what it means to be a go-getter. The two-time People’s Choice award winner has featured on 17 international covers including Emmy, Elle, Time, Instyle, Flare, Flaunt and Women’s Weekly among others and was also part of Variety Magazine’s IMPACT list, that featured LA’s most influential and impactful women of 2016. It was only last year that Dwayne Johnson aka “The Rock” welcomed Priyanka Chopra to the Baywatch family, calling her “insanely talented”, “relentlessly smoking” and “extremely dangerous”.
As an actress who has acted in woman-centric films like ‘Saat Khoon Maaf’, ‘What’s Your Raashi’ and ‘Mary Kom’, when I had asked Priyanka what she had to say about the great amount of disparity as far as remuneration for heroes and heroines is concerned in Bollywood, she had quipped, “I have no other alternative but to agree that there is a disparity in remuneration for heroes and heroines.
But I feel that the day heroine-centric films do well, there will be no more disparity.” Priyanka believes that she is destiny’s favourite child and that there is a hand on her head which guides her in the right direction. Her statement has indeed proved to be prophetic
Priyanka has shot for “A Kid Like Jake” in June and then immediately begun her work on “Isn’t It Romantic” in July before returning to “Quantico”.The biggest TV stars with lengthy seasons are usually able to fit only one film into their schedules since their television commitments are so taxing.
However, Priyanka juggled two Hollywood films and one Bollywood film apart from shooting for ‘Quantico’.Even before her first Hollywood film hit theaters internationally and on home turf, Priyanka Chopra was already inundated with offers, as news of her next Hollywood film made headlines. While the producers of Silas Howard’s ‘A Kid
Priyanka Chopra’s new Marathi production after ‘Ventilator’ – ‘Firebrand’ begins!
After ‘Ventilator’ and ‘Kaay Re Rascala’, Priyanka Chopra, who savours venturing and excelling in varied arenas, has announced her third Marathi production, Firebrand, directed by Arunaraje Patil, over Twitter. With a vision to tell stories from remote parts of the country and to dive into regional cinema, the gorgeous actress’ home banner, Purple Pebble Pictures is backing a comedy drama. Her film Ventilator went on to receive three National Awards. With a humungous response to its first regional production, the banner got the right encouragement to explore yet another story and has announced its new film that saw its muhurat on the 9th of January, 2018.
Like Jake’ confirmed that the global superstar was part of the film also starring Claire Danes of ‘Romeo Juliet’ & ‘The Hours’ fame Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer, Priyanka is also in talks to board the New Line comedy “Isn’t It Romantic” opposite Rebel Wilson. The film also stars Adam Levine and Liam Hemsworth. Priyanka Chopra, who became a household name in America with her TV show ‘Quantico’, is back on the small screen as the show has been renewed for a third season.
Priyanka Chopra, India’s first truly global superstar is being celebrated by the West and on home turf, with an enviable list of achievements that stand testimony to the major impact she continues to make. Earlier this year ,the global icon made it to the Forbes’ 2017 list of the world’s most powerful women ,where she featured alongside some of the most prolific women including world leaders and superstars in the entertainment industry including Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, Beyonce,Hillary Clinton,Melinda Gates, co-chairperson of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Ivanka Trump etc.
The international superstar is now part of Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list, an annual compilation of Indian celebrities based on their earnings during the 1st October 2016 to 30th September 2017 period.
PRIYANKA CHOPRA ANNOUNCES HER FIRST ASSAMESE FILM, BHOGA KHIRIKEE!
Priyanka Chopra and her mother Dr Madhu Chopra’s production house Purple Pebble Pictures is now producing an Assamese film, titled ‘Bhoga Khirikee’ (‘Broken Window’). Priyanka Chopra and her mother Madhu Chopra forayed into regional cinema and after earning National Awards for Marathi film, Ventilator and premiering Sikkimese film, Pahuna at the Toronto International Film Festival, the home production continues its success streak by roping in the Padma Bhushan laureate, Jahnu Barua to direct its next, following a gap of four years. About a female protagonist, whose life is in turmoil due to the ideological and existential clash among the three men in her life – her father, her husband and a stranger, the story of Bhoga Khirikee makes for an untouched subject in the North-East. Interestingly enough, Priyanka is the brand ambassador of Assam Tourism, that has happily extended its cooperation for the film’s shooting. Says Dr. Chopra, “The north-eastern states are the most under-represented in our country and there is so little we know about their culture. I am truly very excited for this movie and proud to be collaborating with a cinema genius like Jahnu Barua.”
When I had asked PeeCee what her biggest fear in life is, she replied, quite as a matter of fact, “My biggest fear in life has always been failure. Any day, fear is not an option in life. I have always felt that even as a little girl that rules break karne mein hi zyada maza aata hain. I am at that stage in my career when I am thrilled to do films of different genre. I was part of Vishal Bharadwaj’s amazing film ‘Saat Khoon Maaf’, where I played the killer wife to seven different husbands, ranging from Naseeruddin Shah to Neil Nitin Mukesh. I also did ‘Kaminey’ for him and ‘Don 2’ for Farhan Akhtar.
What more could I ask for? I took up ‘Fear Factor- Khatron Ke Khiladi’ because I felt that it would be interesting to do something which is different. This is one reality show which is different in every respect when you compare it with other such reality shows on television today”.
HOLLYWOOD CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF PRIYANKA CHOPRA!
From the Oscars, the Emmys, the Billboards and the recent MET Gala,to being splashed across hoardings in America and being on the biggest talk shows in the West, Hollywood just can’t seem to get enough of Priyanka Chopra! The international superstar who made her big Hollywood debut alongside Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron in ‘Baywatch’ , was the most talked about star in the reviews that came the film’s way. On the home front, the buzz about the desi girl at heart is that besides a few endorsement deals, she will announce her next Bollywood film very shortly. Latest reports hint that ‘Bajirao Mastani’ director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is keen on Priyanka being a part of Sahir Ludhianvi’s biopic. Says Priyanka, “I am going to do another three films in different languages. My focus is on small-budget movies. It’s a great time for filmmaking and there’s interesting stuff coming my way. People pursue happiness, success, money or fame, but for me, it’s the pursuit of excellence. I want to be excellent at my role in my Marathi films too, even if it is a guest appearance. If you’re consistent, you will never be denied success, no matter what the age or stage.”Priyanka has also produced a Bhojpuri film ‘Bam Bam Bol Raha Hai Kashi’ and a Punjabi drama titled ‘Ek Onkar’, besides a film in Assamese.
With this, Priyanka Chopra also becomes the only female celebrity to be part of the Top 10 highest earning celebrities in the country.
The superstar comes in at the 7th rank after Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Virat Kohli, Akshay Kumar, Sachin Tendulkar and Aamir Khan. Priyanka Chopra is estimated to have earned a whopping 68 crores in the year 2017 thanks to her show ‘Quantico’, her Hollywood debut ‘Baywatch’ and her brand endorsement deals. Predictions state that the star will continue to rake in steady numbers as she has two Hollywood films on the cards – ‘A Kid Like Jake’ starring Jim Parsons, Claire Danes, and Octavia Spencer, and ‘Isn’t It Romantic?’ starring Rebel Wilson, Adam Devine, and Liam Hemsworth, not to mention other exciting announcements in the pipeline.
Priyanka Chopra is an icon for today’s young Indians who identify with her drive, passion, intelligence and charisma. She has been a social media trendsetter and has a massive fan base across the globe. Much loved and admired as an artiste by people in India and around the world, she is also recognized as a global Indian – a woman who has broken the glass ceiling to reach the highest echelons of international stardom – and for her philanthropic work as UNICEF’s global goodwill ambassador.
Penguin Random House India’s annual 2017 Penguin Annual Lecture was delivered in New Delhi on 26 December by Priyanka Chopra, who is one of the most iconic and popular Indians in the world today, besides being a global entertainment personality, game changer and UNICEF Ambassador. Priyanka Chopra has had a meteoric rise on the global stage with her hit TV show ‘Quantico’.
She was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world and one of Harper Bazaar’s 58 women game changers of the modern era. She is also on LinkedIn’s power profile list for 2017.
