In a recent episode of Armchair Expert, a podcast hosted by Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, Priyanka Chopra revealed that she moved to the US because she “had some beef” with people in the Indian film industry and wanted a fresh start.

Admitting that she wasn’t getting the work she wanted in Bollywood, Priyanka shared, “I was being pushed into a corner in the industry (Bollywood). I had people not casting me, I had beef with people, I am not good at playing that game so I kind of was tired of the politics and I said I needed a break.”

 

Priyanka recalled that around the same time she was spotted in a music video and was asked if she would be interested in a music career in the US.

Listing out the singing sensations she went on to work with, such as Pitbull, Will. I. Am and Pharell Williams, Priyanka added, “This music thing gave me an opportunity to not crave for the movies I didn’t want to get but schmooze certain clubs and cliques of people. It would require grovelling and I had worked a long time by then that I didn’t feel like I wanted to do it.”

While Priyanka explored her musical journey in Hollywood with songs like In My City and Exotic, she kicked off her acting career in the west with the 2015 television series Quantico.

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Priyanka Chopra Jonas, for the first time, has revealed the reason behind moving away from Bollywood and looking for work in the US. The actor was among the top Hindi film stars around 2015 when she decided to give her music career in the US a shot.

Talking to actor Dax Shepard on his podcast, she revealed that she was not happy with the work that came her way in Bollywood. She said, “I was being pushed into a corner in the industry (Bollywood). I had people not casting me, I had beef with people. I am not good at playing that game, so I was tired of the politics and I said I needed a break (sic).”

Jonas added that Anjula Acharia of a media company that produces and distributes fusion entertainment content spotted her in a music video and asked if she would be interested in a music career in the US. “This music thing gave me an opportunity to go into another part of the world and not crave for the movies I didn’t want to get but I would require to schmooze certain clubs and cliques of people. It would require grovelling and I had worked a long time by then that I didn’t feel like I wanted to do it (sic),” she said.

The actor went on to work with musicians such as Pitbull, Will.I.Am and Pharrell Williams, among others. While her music career didn’t take off, she stayed back in the US and pursued acting opportunities in Hollywood. So far, Jonas has featured in international projects such as Quantico (2015), Baywatch (2017), The Matrix Resurrections and The White Tiger (both 2021), among others. This year, she will be seen in Love Again.