Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; December 7, 2018)

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ wedding last week was a perfect amalgamation of Indian and Western cultures, as they took their nuptial vows according to Christian rituals and Hindu customs.

For Madhu Chopra (PC’s mother), seeing her ‘little girl’ tying the knot was a dream come true. She tells us, “It was an emotional moment for everyone. I broke into tears when I saw Priyanka dressed as a bride. I had waited for this day all my life.” She was always keen that her daughter should have a proper Indian wedding. “We followed all the rituals to the T. There were no shortcuts. I wanted an Indian shaadi for her and Priyanka knew that. She fulfilled my wish. It’s lovely to see the amount of love people have for her and Nick,” she adds.

For the Catholic ceremony, the Quantico actress wore a gorgeous Ralph Lauren white gown with a 75-feet veil, while her husband opted for a black tuxedo. The doting mother exclaims, “I was at a loss of words. When I saw Priyanka, I couldn’t control my emotions. The white gown was so beautiful. My baby looked like a princess.”

The next day, PC opted for a heavily-embroidered red Sabyasachi lehenga choli. According to Madhu, “Priyanka looked ‘her prettiest best’ in the outfit.  There was no jhatak, no jhilmil — it was a simple yet classy ensemble.”

The doctor-turned-film producer was spotted grooving with her daughter on stage for the sangeet, too. “It was lovely. Sab dance kar rahe the sangeet pe and everyone was enjoying themselves. The entire atmosphere was vibrant and energetic,” she recalls.

Madhu is all praises for her beti, who has managed to bridge the gap between the East and West effortlessly. She states, “I’m immensely proud of her. It’s majorly because she has done so well for herself and still continues to be so rooted. Woh dekhke mujhe yehi laga ki chahein woh kitna bhi West mein rahe, she will always be connected to our culture.”

She also adds that all this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Priyanka’s in-laws. She smiles and says, “Nick’s family members are such lovely human beings. They were completely fine with the blend of the cultures and Nick is immensely respectful and well-spoken. He makes sure everyone around him comfortable. He’s the best son-in-law one could ask for.”


Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas (left); and  The actress with mom Madhu Chopra

Madhu Chopra on the now-deleted article that termed Priyanka Chopra 'a global scam artist'
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; December 7, 2018)

A day after it was pulled off the site, the scathing article on Priyanka Chopra published by The Cut - an offshoot of The New York magazine - continues to dominate public conversation. Titled 'Is Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' Love For Real?', the piece termed Chopra as a 'global scam artist who tricked a naive and young Jonas into a lifelong commitment'.

While Chopra's fans and peers unanimously slammed the vitriolic piece, mother Madhu Chopra opened up to mid-day about it. "It is a happy phase for our family, and we don't want to be disturbed by such idiotic things. I am happy that my daughter is married to someone she truly loves," said Chopra, who has returned to Mumbai along with the newly-weds after a week-long celebration. She added, "I don't want to give publicity to those fools. There are some donkeys who do anything they feel like, but their actions don't affect us."

When Priyanka was asked to comment on the article, at an event in the capital on Wednesday, she took the high road by stating that it was "not even in my stratosphere". Her brother-in-law Joe Jonas lent her support by describing the article as "disgusting". His girlfriend Sophie Turner too took to social media to write, "This is wildly inappropriate. Very disappointed that The Cut would give anyone a platform to spew such bull****. (sic)"

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; August 22, 2018)

It’s wedding bells for Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. The couple announced their big engagement with a roka and an after-party last week at the former’s Juhu residence. The actress-singer’s mom, Madhu Chopra, is glad that her daughter will finally settle down. She tells After Hrs, “Priyanka has always been ambitious about her career and I was just supporting her and wishing the best for her, as a mother. I used to pester her, but in the last two-three years, I had stopped. I had given up. Yeh sab cheez ka ek time hota hai, it’s all destiny.”

She goes on to say that she was happy when Priyanka told her that she wanted to get engaged. She recalls, “I told her that I want to meet Nick’s family.”

‘THE JONASES ARE NICE PEOPLE’
The American pop star had mummy Denise Miller-Jonas and papa Paul Kevin Jonas by his side, during the rituals. “Nick enjoyed the prayers during the puja,” Madhu laughs before adding, “It was a new thing for him and he took it seriously. He followed what our panditji said, and chanted the Sanskrit mantras accurately. Both he and his parents did it beautifully. They are nice people.”

‘I WANT A TRADITIONAL INDIAN WEDDING’
She mentions that during the puja, she got ‘emotional’ while remembering her late husband, Ashok Chopra, who always wanted to see Priyanka tie the knot. “My daughter knew I wanted a roka before the marriage, so she never said ‘no’. I haven’t forced any of my thoughts on her, but I definitely want a traditional Indian wedding. That’s my only wish. I started the roka with a puja, which is important for me. I’m a modern mother but at heart, I’m quite conservative,” smiles Madhu.

‘NICK IS CALM AND MATURED’
When Nick had visited Mumbai for the first time to meet PC’s family, Mommy Chopra had told After Hrs that it was ‘too early to form an opinion’ about him. Now, she avers, “I always trust Priyanka’s judgment; she’s not impulsive. She gave it a lot of thought and when she decided on something, I was sure it would be good.” She’s all praises for her 25-year-old would-be son-in-law and mentions, “Nick is calm and mature. He’s a wonderful person and everyone in the family just loves him. He’s so polite and respectful towards elders. What more can a mother want!”

Ever since the news of the engagement broke out, there have been several speculations about when and where the couple will tie the knot, but Chopra senior asserts she has ‘no idea about it’. “They haven’t decided on a wedding date yet. It’s too soon. These are just baseless rumours. Both of them have work commitments right now which they need to finish. They will take some time to decide where they want it and when they want it,” she signs off.

MID-DAY (September 7, 2017)

Amidst reports of being offered 25 scripts for her perusal and doing films with Aamir Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Priyanka Chopra’s mother, Madhu Chopra, says the actor presently has no time for Bollywood as she is tied up with commitments in the West. “Priyanka has no time this year to do a Hindi film,” informs the star mom.

There have been reports that the actor will play Khan’s wife in the biopic on astronaut Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to travel in space. There is also buzz that PeeCee is teaming up with Bhansali for Gustaakhiyaan and will apparently play the role of renowned poet Amrita Pritam in the film. “I have not seen any paperwork or documents, so I can’t say anything [of Priyanka working with Bhansali]. The film that he is working on is nice. I have read the script and it is beautiful. I think he is the right person to make it,” Chopra says. “If he [Bhansali] is making it this year, then Priyanka is definitely not doing it. Priyanka and Bhansali are good friends, they share a warm relationship. They meet whenever she is in Mumbai,” the star mom adds.

On Tuesday, the actor left for Canada, to attend the Toronto Film Festival 2017, which kicks off today.
Chopra’s Sikkimese production Pahuna is being screened at the festival, which runs till September 17.

Manishaa R (DNA; July 11, 2017)

It wasn’t long ago that Priyanka Chopra was attacked on social media for her “not-so-proper” attire during her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The actress chose to wear a dress rather than traditional wear, and she was trolled for that.

Priyanka was taken aback with the backlash, says her mom Madhu Chopra, “Her neckline was right up to her jaw, her hands were covered. They met in the lobby before she was to go for a Baywatch promotional event. She couldn’t have pleaded with the PM to give her two minutes so that she could wear a sari.”

The actress’ mom reveals that even the protocol officer, who welcomed Priyanka at the event, did not find anything wrong with her outfit. “He and his team had no problem. In fact, we got an official communication from the protocol officer later that the PM had no issue with it. But the trolls on social media diluted the whole intent of the meeting,” she says.

Chopra adds that Priyanka could be the last person to be criticised for her dress-sense. “She is a perfectionist to the core and plans her looks days in advance when she has to grace formal and informal occasions and red carpet events. Even her airport look is well planned. She doesn’t even step out of her room unless she is dressed right,” says Chopra.

Madhu Chopra says her daughter is rooted in her culture and is a God-fearing girl
Manishaa R (DNA; December 26, 2016)

Priyanka Chopra is planning a grand overseas release for her Punjabi film, Sarvann, in keeping with the huge turnout for the promotions of the film overseas, especially in Canada.

According to her mother Madhu, Priyanka is very keen that the film reaches out to Punjabi audiences overseas, “There’s a big market for Punjabi films in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Along with Europe, these are all emerging as a great markets. Priyanka is keen that the film reaches out to the audiences there.”

Madhu adds that Priyanka was particularly excited about the huge turnout for the first trailer launch of the film in Toronto, Canada in November. “She had been there earlier for film festivals and shows but this was the first time she did a promotional visit for her own film and she was thrilled with the overwhelming response. The audiences there are also very excited about her decision to support regional films and are keenly awaiting the film’s release. Also, Amarinder Singh, who was there in the promotional tour has a huge following among the Punjabi audiences in the overseas territory,” says Madhu.

Unlike her last film, Ventilator, in which she had a cameo, Priyanka has not played any role in the film, though there was a misconception that she was doing a guest appearance in the film, when she was shown pictured in a gurudwara, during the promotional campaign, “The portions shown were at the gurudwara during the making of the film, during which Priyanka was present,” Madhu clarifies.

Sarvann tells the story of a young NRI living in Canada, who goes wayward due to his get-rich-quick ideas and ends up getting involved with the wrong company. He later coincidentally lands in India, where he is guided to a gurudwara after he loses all his belongings. Here he learns about the greatness of Guru Granth Sahib and the true meaning of life, “It conforms to Priyanka’s strategy of making content-driven films. The film brings back nostalgia to the people who are living outside; they will all connect to the lush green fields of Punjab and the gurudwaras. It is the kind of film Priyanka always wanted to make,” Madhu says.

Priyanka herself grounded in her cultural values, stresses her mom, “She is a true-blue Punjabi at heart and a very religious person. She doesn’t step out of the house without doing her puja; she is a god-fearing person. Whichever part of the world she travels to, she greets people with a Namaste. You can’t take India and her culture out of her,” says her proud mom. Sarvann is scheduled to release on the eve of Lohri in Punjab on January 13.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 21, 2016)

Cross-continent travel and juggling Hollywood and Bollywood assignments are part and parcel of Priyanka Chopra’s life. But, the actress won’t stop at just that. She, along with mother Dr Madhu Chopra, dived into the regional film world with a Bhojpuri production, Bam Bam Bol Raha Hai Kashi, which released last June.

Next up under their banner, Purple Pebbles Pictures, is Marathi film Ventilator that releases a fortnight later, while a Punjabi film is already on floors. The Chopra mother-daughter duo is also eyeing the Rajasthani and Chattisgarhi film industry keenly.

Sr Chopra says it is a conscious decision on their part to venture into regional cinema. “Priyanka is someone who follows the road less taken, doing unconventional stuff. We have a lot of good content and stories, which go untold as there are not many producers willing to put their money [on regional films]. Our aim is to back such projects and give them a global platform,” says Madhu, revealing that they plan to venture into mainstream Hindi films next year.

Despite a busy schedule in the West, Priyanka is a hands-on producer, insists Madhu. “Priyanka holds the remote control. We chat every day and I keep her up to date on all projects. She guides us on how to go about things. Without her approval, nothing moves here, so much so that she takes the final call on what should be written on invitation cards,” she says.

Talking about her role in the production company, she adds, “I look at the back-end work. Once she takes a decision, I look into the execution part of it.” Quiz her if she would like to see her daughter get married sooner rather than later, and Madhu says, “Earlier, I used to talk to her about marriage, but I have stopped now. She is mature enough to take a decision herself.”