Priyanka Chopra Jonas on marriage, ambition, and what it means to be a woman in charge
Deebashree Mohanty (BOMBAY TIMES; November 24, 2019)

You’ve said your mother played a crucial role in forming your views about life...
Both my parents have sacrificed so much of their lives for me. My mom was at the peak of her practice — she’s a doctor — and she quit that and moved to Mumbai because of my aspirations. I became Miss India at 17, and my dad was like, “She’s too young. She can’t be alone.” And my mom was like, “Alright, my daughter’s ambitions matter to me, and I’ll do whatever is required for her dream to be realised.” When I wanted to go to America at 13, my mom and dad made that happen. My family has always been an incredible support system for my ambitions and my dreams.

Has marriage made you see life in a new way? Also, what attracted you to Nick Jonas?
I feel marriage has made me calmer, and far more content. What attracted me to Nick was that we have similar values – we’re both equally dedicated to our families and our careers. So, marriage has only made me grounded and happy.

You are a woman in charge in a world, where gender equations are being talked about; but a lot of people still aren’t comfortable dealing with powerful women. How do you navigate your way without getting worked up?
I grew up in a family that encouraged me to have a voice of my own. My parents have always taught me to be my own person, and have an opinion about the world around me. So, I am who I am. While I do make an effort to accommodate everyone’s views, I will not change for anyone.

Tell us about your journey as an entrepreneur...
When it comes to work, I am a beast, and on that level, I connect with a lot of people around the world because ambition has no colour, it has no language, it has no border or country. Ambition is pure ambition. I have it and I wish for the women of the world to not be afraid to have it, because we have been told for such a long time that ambition is a bad word for a girl. This ambition drives my entrepreneurial pursuits. And I think that has taken me from strength to strength.

How important is it to love yourself?
How can I do and achieve whatever I have, without loving myself? I need to be able to live with my decisions, even be happy with them if I’m to succeed in my endeavours.

Being a global icon, you have to juggle multiple decisions within a stipulated time. How do you manage to stay ahead of the curve?
I think when you are wearing as many hats as I do, decisiveness comes with the territory. There’s no free lunch in the world. It takes dedication, hard work, perseverance and a really good team.

You’ve spent your life in the limelight for almost two decades. How difficult was it to manage?
I’ve been in this industry since I was a teenager, so I’m very used to it… it’s a part and parcel of my life now. So, you just accept it and take everything that comes your way in your stride.

There is a lot of negativity all around, especially on social media. How do you deal with it?
I take it with a pinch of salt. I understand that social media is a platform to express positive and negative emotions, and yes, I do wish that people tried to be nicer, kinder, and better versions of themselves. But this isn’t an ideal world, and I can’t really control what people say about me, but I can control how I perceive it and if I choose to let it affect me or not.

Priyanka Chopra, winning the world one steady step at a time, gets up, close and personal
Shikha Shah (TIMES LIFE; October 16, 2016)

A day in the life of Priyanka Chopra...
It isn't as glamorous as you would think. My life is all about 5 am call times, 16-hour work days, photoshoots; but I wouldn't change anything about it.

Your last vacation...
About three years ago, after my dad passed away. My mom, brother, aunts and cousins, all went to the Turks and Caicos Islands for a long overdue vacation. Think beautiful, sun-kissed beaches, azure water, delectable food and the best company. We had an amazing time and we bonded with each other over fun conversations.

Any destination on your bucket list?
I love to visit new places and my work takes me across the globe. I don't really have a bucket list, but I know I will keep travelling and exploring all my life.

As the elder sister, are you the head of the family now?
Ever since I started working, I took up the responsibility of taking care of my family. My parents encouraged it. My father will always remain the head of our family, and my mom, its backbone. I have just assumed the role of being everyone's caretaker, sometimes to the point of being excessively protective. The truth is my family means every thing to me. My mom lovingly calls me her 'grandmother'.

How do you pull yourself back together after a loss or heartbreak?
I work, often to the point of exhaustion and collapse. Work gives me focus, and exhaustion helps me sleep peacefully without trying too hard. This way, I am completely recharged when I wake up the next day. Irrespective of what happens, you have to keep moving on, and this is what allows me to realign. It's not as easy as it seems to be, but it works for me almost every time.

Do you plan things in life?
I have never followed a plan. I trust my instinct. Also, I like to push the set boundaries; I push myself into trying something new time and again. Taking up challenges has made me whatever I am today.

Would you follow your heart when it comes to love, marriage?
I'm a hopeless romantic but I do believe your mind should also be involved in the decision. You can be easily blinded by both love and your heart. Your mind ensures you are aware of the reality and you're okay with it. Marriage is no cake walk. And while love is imperative, it's not the only thing that makes a marriage successful.

How often do you get 'me' time?
When I need 'me' time, I just take it. It's not difficult because I surround myself with people I love and respect; this applies even in my professional life. They all fight to make sure I get time to myself.

Key to mental calm and stability...
My family and friends. Sometimes, on my days off, I disconnect from everything and just lie in my bed. My bedroom and my theatre room are my favourite spaces; they are my own private oasis. I watch movies and TV shows, read, listen to music or just do nothing. This enables me to set my equilibrium right.

Priyanka Chopra on her American TV debut, the confusion created by two simultaneous accent training classes and the perils of being a star
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 28, 2015)

Tushar Joshi (DNA; May 13, 2015)


You didn’t get Quantico the traditional way, there was no audition, how did the show come to you ?
For me, it was very different. Most actors audition for a lot of shows. But for me, I had done a special deal with ABC, they scout talent around the world. So, when Kelly Lee, who is in casting, came down, I was shooting Gunday. She said they wanted to do a development deal where they find the right show for me. They had done similar deals with Sofia Vergara, Eva Longoria and a few other actresses, where they find the right show for that talent. So then I had to go to LA and read the 25 pilots that they had picked for me, tell them the ones I liked, which was around three or four scripts. If it ends up working for everyone from writers, directors and the creative team, you end up doing it. So I am happy that I got my first pick which was Quantico!

Is it true you had a clause stating you wouldn’t play an Indian on the show?
Interestingly, Quantico was written for an all-American girl, a white girl. So they tweaked the story. My ethnicity on the show is half Indian-half Caucasian. You know I went to school in America, I grew up there, and all the Indian characters that I saw on American shows are stereotypes and talk like Apu from The Simpsons, who I hate because growing up, everyone would ask me ‘How come you don’t talk like Apu?’. It used to piss me off. My basis with ABC was that I want to do an ethnically ambiguous part, and that’s the only way I would do it. I didn’t want to do a big fat Indian Punjabi family, that’s so expected from a Bollywood actress. I had clearly told them that if you want to treat me like an actress and not a ‘Bollywood’ jewel, where am supposed to dance and do those things, then I am fine. Which is why the parts they chose for me and scripts I read were for characters that are ethnically ambiguous.

You already have an accent. Is that something you have retained on the show ?
I have never played an FBI agent. In fact, you will hear me speak in a more American accent than the one that I already have! Because to be a FBI agent, you need to be an American citizen, so it was very important for me to get that right. I had dialect coaching to sound even more American and how much I have laughed! Because I told them in India anyway people think I have an accent, now with Quantico, that’s on some other level. But as an actor you do it, like when I did Kaminey, I sounded so Maharashtrian. For Jhilmil, I had to change my voice completely.

Tell us about the way American media looks at Indian actors.
They see me as a person from another land. They don’t understand the concept of how I have the fan following that I do. Which I find amazing, because the world has become this one big global family. I hope to be that change for India, where people don’t just see us as Patel stores, and curry shops and everything that’s typical. It’s a great shift for Indian actors, or even what Anil sir has done with 24 and now Family Guy. I remember, when I was growing up, I didn’t see anyone who looked like me in global pop culture. In today’s time, Rihanna is from the Islands, David Guetta is from Sweden — today’s pop culture reflects global diversity and I want to be part of that.

What is your biggest fear playing the lead in Quantico?
It’s very scary, because I don’t know if the world is ready for an Indian protagonist. When I did NFL, and In My City (her debut single) was picked for NFL, it was the opening song after Faith Hill. Several racist comments came my way, that I am an Arab terrorist. On social media and the NFL network they had people writing to them. Because I was brown, they figured I’m Arab, and people were like ‘How can you have her headlining an American event? Why is she in an all-American sport?’ So, I don’t know how people will react especially since I’m playing an American from India! But it’s a great part and a great show, it could be really cool.

What are your favourite American TV shows?
I am obsessed with CSI, SVU, Dexter. I also like Grey’s Anatomy and all of that. I watch a lot of TV, I prefer watching TV shows over a long film. My mother is obsessed with her murder fix at night, so I end up watching one episode with her during dinner. Now she’s damn happy that I am going to be her murder fix with Quantico (laughs). I am excited, nervous, it’s uncharted territory. When you don’t have a precedent it freaks you out.

Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; November 29, 2014)

On November 27, we reported about cops having busted a sex racket operating from a Versova property owned by Priyanka Chopra.

The raid, which took place on November 7, led to the rescue of three women and arrest of its manager while spa owner Manik Soni managed to flee.

Now sources tell us that the actress has sent a legal notice to Soni besides cancelling the lease of her entire floor measuring 3,000 sq ft. Cops said her mother, Madhu Chopra has a clinic right next to the place and had also attended the spa’s launch two years ago along with son, Siddharth.

A source says, “Soni has a branch of Charisma Beauty Spa and Salon in Bandra that he had allegedly started in partnership with Sohail Khan’s wife Seema. In March last year, he celebrated his birthday as well as the Versova spa’s first anniversary.”

While Priyanka did not reply to our messages, her mother says, “We have already taken action. We have sent a legal notice to the spa owner.”

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; August 23, 2014)

Priyanka Chopra (DNA; May 11, 2014)

Dear Mom...
Mother’s Day is very special for me... Dad was my weakness, but you mom, are my strength. For me you are the ultimate achiever — in fact you are an over-achiever. You can do so many things at the same time... You are not just a doctor, you speak seven languages, and you are a pilot... I wish I could be even a little bit like you. You are a complete woman — well-educated, well-spoken, elegant and stylish — what every woman should be. You are the only woman I look up to, and I hope I can be like you when I am your age.
You know mom, we never have anything planned for Mother’s Day because of our busy schedules. We are both working women. But it’s not about what we do but spend ting time together that is very precious to us.
I have always been a daddy’s girl but I am your girl too... You are my go-to person and my best friend whom I can tell anything. We are like a gang of girls who talk about everything. You are my best friend — someone I consult on everything — from what to do to what do I wear and what I need...

I have learned many things from you, but the two very important things that I have learned from you are self-respect and the courage of conviction. You have always told me that whatever I do — good, bad or ugly and wrong or right — I should have the courage to stand up for it. Hiding or denying things are not options. I have always been a very private person but you have taught me that it takes tremendous courage to take a strong decision and to stand by your convictions.

You know that we are very different people and perhaps that’s why we get along so well. I am a Cancerian while you are a Gemini. I love the fact that you are always so calm and composed. I’m just the opposite. I am like a tornado. You are someone who loves meeting and interacting with people, going out on holidays, discovering the city you travel while I like to stay in bed and order room service. I love your enthusiasm and love for life. We being so different enthuses our life with the other side.

Wherever you are, you are always in my heart and I will never stop mothering you or ‘grandmothering’ you as you call it... You call me grandmother because for me you are like my six-year-old child and you are always telling me to chill and not worry about you. But what to do? Where you and my loved ones are concerned, I have always been and will be a worry wart... I am very afraid of losing my loved ones...

We talk every day on the phone whether I am in town or not. I have never lived without you and dad. You know mom, my day is not complete without informing you what’s going on. You work as well so you can’t always travel with me but wherever I can, I love to have you with me... It’s great fun being with you... The last few years have been very difficult for all of us as a family with dad’s illness and handled it so well. You were his caretaker, companion and friend... This time on Mother’s Day I thought what could be really special that I can give you... You are a very khuddar (self-respecting) person but I know you love gifts. We always shop for each other whenever we travel and anyways I don’t get time to shop so you pick up more stuff for me than I do for you. But this time on Mother’s Day I got you a personally-signed guitar from rockstar Bruce Springstein because you love his music! I know you love meeting him and you went to his concert. I hope you like it maa... Whatever I have learned in music is from you and dad... I have been influenced in Western by you and classical by dad...

Love you mom...