Priyanka Chopra is known for swimming into and marking a name in an uncharted territory.
The actress gained fame by winning the Miss World title in 2000, and went on to establish her career in Bollywood with close to 70 movies to her credit.
From her 20-year-long career as an actress/producer to her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Priyanka has donned multiple hats throughout her career. Her story will inspire a generation around the world to gather courage, embrace their ambition, and commit to the hard work of following their dreams.
As she releases her memoir named ‘Unfinished’ today, we look at the times she proved to be an inspiration.
The Journey from Bareilly to Hollywood
Coming from a family of doctors, Priyanka Chopra aspired to follow a career in criminal psychology. However, after being crowned Miss World in 2000, her career took a different turn. .
Priyanka then saw a successful career in Bollywood. She then made her mark in the international music industry as well as Hollywood. After carving out a music career in the West with songs like Exotic and In My City, she went on to star in films such as Baywatch (2017) and Isn’t It Romantic? The show Quantico, in which she played the lead role, remains her biggest achievement.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, she shared that somewhere people don’t see Bollywood with the lens that they saw when she started working in America.
But her journey has not been a cake walk. It is her persistence to walk on a path less travelled, which has framed her image in the society. She is known for her strength, determination, and hard work in everything she does.
Away from negativity
Priyanka has often shared her experiences while studying at an American school where she faced racism. People told her to go back to where she came from and called her names for having brown skin.
Even after starting her career, she had been at the receiving end of criticisms and trolls. She had admitted that when she initially went to the West to explore Hollywood, she didn’t get a movie role because casting directors didn't want a brown actor.
Many times she was also trolled by the public. However, despite being pushed down, time and time again, Priyanka has made it abundantly clear that nothing can break her.
She has never let negativities or controversies affect her and always believed in getting up and keep moving, no matter what.
On her relationship with Nick Jonas
Priyanka Chopra and singer-actor Nick Jonas tied the knot on December 1, 2018. However, ever since they started dating, she was questioned on her relationship with Nick in terms of the different ethnicities and their 10-year age gap.
Talking to Elle magazine, Priyanka said people were brutal about it and often passed rude comments for being in a relationship with Nick Jonas.
She pointed out the double standards behind the criticism saying that a woman is more likely to be judged for having a younger partner than a man is. "I find it really amazing when you flip it and the guy is older, no one cares and actually people like it," she told the magazine.
Priyanka said that neither their cultural background or age differences were a hurdle in their bond. “Like a normal couple, you have to understand each other's habits and what each other like. So, it's more of an adventure than trying to figure out hurdles. None of it was really that hard,” she had told the media.
Donning multiple hats
From Susanna in 7 Khoon Maaf and Jhilmil in Barfi! to playing Mary Kom in her biopic and Isabella in the US romcom Isn't It Romantic, Priyanka always looked comfortable in essaying a diverse array of characters.
Even outside movies, she is seen taking the role of multiple characters. Priyanka also became an entrepreneur with Purple Pebble Productions, and turned an investor in 2018 by backing dating app Bumble and tech school Holberton. Recently, she launched her own hair care line- 'Anomaly'.
Apart from this, she has been a philanthropist for about a decade now while working with UNICEF. Priyanka also advocates for environmental non-profits whose work helps developing nations improve living conditions.
With her new book, Priyanka will now don the hat of an author as well.
Her life is an example of how one should always keep expanding their horizons and never stop exploring opportunities in life.
Also read: These Actors Are Not Just Entertainers But Entrepreneurs In Fashion And Beauty
On being vocal about supporting movements
Priyanka has always been open and vocal about her support for subjects like mental health, body positivity, or even social causes. In 2018, she hosted a panel about mental health on Facebook's '#SocialForGood' event, and encouraged people to have honest conversations about the topic.
In an interview with American talk show The View in 2016, Priyanka spoke about being body-shamed as a teenager, and how she combated it by focusing on her strengths.
The actress has also vocalised her support during the Black Lives Matter movement, and had condemned the use of violence against students peacefully protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
She has even wrote the TIME 100 profile for lawyers Arundhati Katju and Menaka Guruswamy, who helped decriminalise homosexuality in India last year.
These instances show how Priyanka has always tried to utilise her position of privilege for good causes and never taken it for granted.
Also read: 20 Times Priyanka Chopra Wore The Girl Boss Label Effortlessly
(Edited by Megha Reddy)
