MID-DAY (December 25, 2017)

Priyanka Chopra is upset as she could not be present for the convocation ceremony at Bareilly International University, where she was supposed to receive an honorary doctorate. The actor was scheduled to attend the event in Uttar Pradesh yesterday, but could not land at the airport due to fog. “I am heartbroken as I was unable to receive my honorary doctorate in person. We were at the airport waiting for clearance from the air traffic control. My team had also explored other options to get there, but the fog put everything to rest,” Chopra said in a statement.

This would have been PeeCee’s first visit to the city after five years. “I was looking forward to going back to Bareilly, not just to receive the honorary doctorate, but also to catch up with old friends and reconnect with a city that has been a part of my life,” she added.

The ceremony was to be attended by Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan and Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal. The Quantico actor also expressed gratitude to the university for understanding the situation. “I want to thank them for being understanding. I would like to wish every graduate the best as they set forth on a new journey. I will see you again soon,” she said.

On Saturday, PeeCee was in New Delhi for an United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) event. As global goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, she spoke on wome n’ s empowerment, girl child and adolescent education.