Breaking down barriers in Hollywood with her strong roles, Priyanka Chopra is a female powerhouse using her influence to save the world.
Breaking down barriers in Hollywood with her strong roles, Priyanka Chopra is a female powerhouse using her influence to save the world.
A former Miss World winner, Priyanka Chopra was already a major star in her native India prior to winning the lead role on the hit US TV series, Quantico. And she’s taken things to the next level in Baywatch, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Zac Efron, which recently hit the screens here.
“This is a very big movie and I’m working with two of the most popular actors in the world,” says the stunning actress, who will be turning 35 next month.
Priyanka was delighted to get the chance to star in the movie, as she was an avid fan of the TV series. “I grew up watching Baywatch in India, and my family would gather around the TV to watch the show. I was a huge fan of David Hasselhoff, and it’s a dream for me to now be part of the movie.” She’s watched it so often and so closely that she’s quite the master at the signature slow-mo beach run. “I love doing it,” she shares. “I would teach some of the other actors on the Baywatch set how to do the run!”.
Initially, Priyanka was selected to play one of the lifeguards, but things took a turn after her Skype conversation with director Seth Gordon. The actress reveals, “We were supposed to speak for 15 minutes but our conversation lasted for over two hours. He had originally written the part of the villain for a man, but then he had the idea that it would be more exciting to change the character to a woman and that’s how I got the part,” she reveals.
In The Limelight
In Baywatch, Dwayne will take over David Hasselhoff’s role as Mitch Buchanon, while Zac plays Matt Brody. In addition, model Kate Upton slips into the famous red one-piece swimsuit of CJ Parker, the iconic character first made famous by Pamela Anderson. And Priyanka plays Victoria, a villain who makes life miserable for her famous male co-stars.
“I’m being introduced to audiences all over the world, most of whom don’t know me, and my character Victoria is really, really mean. But I have to say that it’s so much fun playing this kind of a delicious villain.”
Priyanka grew up in India, where she was raised by her parents Ashok and Madhu Chopra, both doctors, and spoke both Hindi and English at home. She spent most of her teenage years in Boston, where she went to high school and was initially interested in becoming a software engineer before winning the Miss World title in 2000 set her on course to becoming one of Bollywood’s top film stars.
In 2015, she became the first actress of Indian descent cast in a lead role in an American TV series. Priyanka plays FBI agent Alex Parrish in Quantico, now entering its third season. The role earned her the 2016 People’s Choice Award for Favourite Actress In A New TV Series. But her journey to Hollywood wasn’t easy. Priyanka shares, “Initially, it was having to educate people about what I was capable of. They used to see me as a stereotype of what Bollywood is supposed to be, the emotions are heightened but that is not true, we can do anything. That struggle was very hard. I had to break down concrete to not be that stereotype. Especially because I picked a part that was an FBI agent, and it was nothing to do with my ethnicity or Hindi movies.”
Sharply Focused
And it looks like the world is now beginning to see the actress as who she is and what she’s capable of. Her Baywatch co-star Dwayne sings her praises, “I’ve been in the business a long time, and I’ve worked with a lot of stars, and only a handful are as driven and as sharply focused and ambitious as Priyanka. It’s intoxicating – and you want to be around it because it inspires you.”
Priyanka isn’t worried about the massive worldwide attention that will come with the summer blockbuster. “I’ve been in the public eye in India since I was 17 years old (when I became Miss World), and I understand what it means to be famous. It does change your life, but I’m also very happy to have enjoyed a wonderful acting career. I also understand that this business can be unpredictable, and I have gone through highs and lows over the years.”
As a high school student in the US, Priyanka suffered bullying and racism. “Some girls were very mean to me. One would call me ‘Brownie’ and say, ‘go back to your country’ or ‘I smell curry’. Those comments were very hurtful, and I was often being bullied. I had very low self-esteem during that time, and that was one of the reasons I decided to return to India. My confidence was badly damaged.”
Empowered To Achieve
Priyanka believes that had she not returned to India, she might not have gone on to experience her wildly successful career. “Winning the titles of Miss India and Miss World was a beautiful surprise. It gave me a new perspective on how I thought of myself, and all the things I felt empowered to achieve. A Miss World must not only be beautiful, she must also have character. I said to myself: ‘If I can stay on this stage, I can do anything.’”
Despite her success in the US and being based in New York, the star still yearns for the familiarity of her Mumbai home. “I miss speaking in Hindi… things I never appreciated.” When she does return, the first thing she does is head for her mother’s house. “I just lie on her bed and tell her what I want to eat,” she says, laughing. “I stay there for about three days and my family and friends come and visit. I haven’t been home for so long, I think that is what I miss most, my house.”
Despite being a style icon and a Bollywood superstar, Priyanka is modest about being called one of the most beautiful women in the world. “I don’t think that way about myself now. But I believe that you can teach yourself to be the best version of yourself over time, and that’s what I have tried to do.”
Priyanka is also determined to use her fame to bring about positive change, making her a real-life wonder woman. The causes she supports range from female empowerment to animal rights and environmentalism. She was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador last December, and champions under privileged children through her organisation, The Priyanka Chopra Foundation For Health and Education. She also launched the Save The Girl Child Campaign, aimed at changing negative attitudes of Indians towards girls so they can enjoy a brighter future.
Her efforts are paying off: Last year, TIME magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People In The World. An ardent feminist, Priyanka also frequently speaks about women’s rights, gender equality and addressing the gender pay wage gap.
“Women have to learn to accept themselves and look at their flaws not as weaknesses but as aspects of yourself that make you unique,” she says. “You have to embrace those qualities that make you who you are and not look for the approval of others to make you feel good about yourself. It starts from within.”
