Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas says it’s her dream to see Indian cinema take over the West
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 27, 2019)

To say that Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a household name across India, would be an understatement. She is perhaps our biggest name working abroad too, singing, acting and doing what not! After carving out a music career in the West with songs such as Exotic and In My City, she went on to star in films such as Baywatch (2017) and Isn’t It Romantic? The show Quantico, in which she played the lead role, remains her biggest achievement there.

However, it wasn’t easy for PeeCee. She tells us that it was all too new for her when she first went to try her luck in Hollywood. “When I went to America,” she begins, “there wasn’t a precedence. I didn’t have a road map to follow because there was no one who had done it before. I had to figure it out, walk into rooms, introduce myself, say ‘I am an Indian actor, my name is Priyanka Chopra, these are the kind of films I want to do’. I demanded playing leading roles, instead of settling for parts which were the stereotype of what a Bollywood actor would usually get. Those also came to me, but I was very clear about what I wanted to do.”

The 37-year-old adds that such was the perception then, that Bollywood was reduced to a ‘genre’ on streaming platforms. Says Priyanka, “I dug my feet in, persevered and did what I needed to do. It’s my dream that Indian cinema becomes global. We are one of the biggest movie industries in the world, and we have been reduced to a genre. If you look at streaming services, you will see genres such as ‘horror’, ‘comedy’, ‘drama’ and ‘Bollywood’. Bollywood is not a genre, it’s an entire industry! It’s my life’s dream to see Indian cinema and artistes take over the West.”

Many Indian actors such as Ali Fazal and Radhika Apte have been getting work abroad lately. Does Priyanka see a positive shift?

She agrees. “Somewhere, people don’t see Bollywood with the lens that they saw it with when I started working in America. I got a lot of ‘So you must be a good dancer?’ and I used to be like ‘Ya, I can sing, dance and act, I am a triple threat!’ So, you have to stop people in tracks and say ‘I am not just one thing’... It took a lot of work, I am so glad. I hope beyond what we are seeing, I want to see Indian actors and movies become mainstream global entertainers. That’s what I have done with Quantico, Baywatch and the movies I am doing like The White Tiger and We Can Be Heroes. We need to see more Indian talent,” says Priyanka, who was recently seen in the Hindi film The Sky is Pink after a break of three years from Bollywood.

And that is what exactly happened when Priyanka and actor Mindy Kaling got themselves the chance of a lifetime. Priyanka tells us, “To me, it was a massive achievement when Mindy and I walked into Universal Studios, came out with a deal for an all-Indian starcast in a Hollywood movie, in a romantic comedy! That’s never happened in a mainstream rom-com! I remember, we came out, held our hands, and we couldn’t believe it. It took us fighting the fight. I am hoping to be able to create so many more opportunities for Indian actors in my small way. I am obviously not saying I can change everything. But in my small way… that’s my quest.”

Priyanka Chopra on her comeback Hindi film, The Sky Is Pink, her production plans and making her long-distance marriage with Nick Jonas work
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 6, 2019)

From becoming the face for desi talent in the US by headlining the ABC show, Quantico, to her marriage to pop star Nick Jonas, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is evidently in a content space. And yet, for anyone who knows her well enough, she is always hungry for more.

We catch up with her at Mehboob Studios, Bandra, and chat about why film sets need to go plastic-free given the alarming state of the environment, but soon enough, we nosedive into a conversation about what made her choose a fairly non-commercial filmmaker Shonali Bose's The Sky Is Pink even when industry bigwigs were lining up at her doorstep.

"I have never picked up conventional or mainstream films. To me, a good story matters the most. I am a movie buff and this was a story that sucked me in. Be it a Bajirao Mastani or a Mary Kom or Barfi! they aren't conventional. Of course, I do tentpole films but that's not the only thing I depend on. Now, the audience is different. A few years ago, when we were marketing our films we would say, 'leave your brains at home and watch the movie'. People don't want to leave their brains behind at home anymore. I understand that people want to shaken, stirred and moved while watching a film," starts off Chopra.

She admits that she has not watched Bose's films. "She keeps telling me, 'How did you say yes to me without seeing my work?'" Chopra says that the story moved her to bits. The Sky Is Pink, in Shonali's words, is the love story of Niren and Aditi Chaudhury, the parents of Aisha, an author and motivational speaker who died of pulmonary fibrosis.

"This story is profound and funny. It hits your heart. I have been acting for 16 years. I have worked with many new filmmakers. When I talk to a filmmaker, I can sense how much they know a subject. The script spoke to me. When I met her in New York, I knew instinctively that I wanted to be directed by her. There are filmmakers I have worked with and have not been able to trust. I wanted an immersive experience and Shonali had clarity. She told me how she lost her child. There is a certain lightness about death. She told me that people go when their work on Earth is done. You shouldn't mourn their death but celebrate their life. I hadn't dealt with my father's death as well. But she made me realise that I didn't need to mourn him. People who love us don't want us to grieve. This film discusses a heavy subject but is told by Aisha who is light-hearted. Her parents decided to give her every kind of adventure and love that they could think of. I was amazed that these real-life people who created an extraordinary life for their daughter. It was incredibly inspiring for me as an actor. I went through a roller-coaster of emotions, laughing my guts out and crying a little through it. The film made me call up those I love and tell them how much I cherish them."

Chopra was attracted to the story of enduring love of Niren and Aditi who met as high school sweethearts. Now, at 55 they still hold hands, give each other a peck and survived the loss of two children. "Their chemistry is overpowering, 70 per cent of couples separate after the death of their children. To be happy and have compassion is hard in such scenarios. Life is not a pursuit of rage but happiness. When my dad was suffering, I remember the toll it took on mom [Madhu]."

She derived the character from her mother as much as she did from Aditi and Shonali. "My mother is similar to Aditi, fiercely protective and her own person. We are taught as girls to have that kind of independence, have opinions and have a voice. I want the world to see that a free-spirited family can be well-knit and doesn't take away from sanskars."

Though Chopra is back with a Bollywood film after a gap, she says, "I always had films coming my way. But during Quantico, I had to give 11 months of my year to them. This is why I did Baywatch, A Kid Like Jake and Isn't It Romantic because one month is not enough to finish a feature. Post-Quantico, I knew what kind of film I was looking for. I knew Alex Parish so well that I needed a role to scare me. I wanted to be on my toes, get sleepless nights. I knew I wanted to be fed as an artiste. It's a responsibility to play a real-life person. I had to play a mother which I am not yet. I remember a scene required me to go so deep into me that once cameras stopped, I held Shonali and cried. I was getting married when I was shooting, so there was no time to plan the wedding in between the film."

With The Sky Is Pink, Chopra also turns a Hindi film producer too. "I want to do web series and features across languages. I am an EP on the Netflix film, The White Tiger. I am producing the Mindy Kaling film as well as web shows. I like taking chance on new talent because I never had that."

'We Inform Each Other Of Every Tiny Detail'
Priyanka Chopra Jonas and husband Nick Jonas lead hectic lives thanks to their professional commitments. PeeCee says, "We have rules. We don't go two weeks without meeting each other, no matter where we are in the world. We have to stay in touch. We have to inform each other of every tiny detail. Our schedules are opposite when we are in different time zones, but we FaceTime our way through this. It's a modern-day long distance relationship, which is hinged on how much we want to make it work. We love each other's company and we are each other's best friends. Sometimes, I wake him in the middle of the night and shriek out something that happened with me and he's there. We get how important our work is to us. We are ambitious and driven and in love in equal parts."

Priyanka Chopra on married life, films she wants to make and finally accepting her father’s loss
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 25, 2019)

Early in the afternoon, Priyanka Chopra glides into Film City studio like a beam of sunshine and straightaway gets down to business. Excerpts from an interview:

Three years after Prakash Jha’s cop-drama Jai Gangaajal, you have another Hindi film coming up with The Sky Is Pink. How does it feel to be back to your first love, Bollywood?
It’s still my love. I couldn’t do a Hindi film earlier because three seasons of Quantico took up 11 months of a year and I just didn’t have the time or bandwidth. I love the new-wave films being made and how people are reacting to them. As a filmmaker and an actor who likes to do different things, I have a choice and was able to pick a film like The Sky Is Pink.

The film deals with the subject of loss. What drew you to it?
What moved me about this film was its take on family, relationships and loss. Indian culture teaches us to stay together as a family through all trials and this film underlines this even through the loss of a child. Instead of mourning death, Shonali (Bose, director) chooses to celebrate life. My mother, brother and I also agreed not to remember the last few moments before my dad passed away. We remember the man, his spirit and laughter, how he brought families together. Death is inevitable, yet we are afraid of it. Shonali changed my perspective through this film, healed me.

Shonali said recently that during a scene, you couldn’t stop crying even after she called “Cut”. Did it remind you of someone who is long gone?
In that particular scene Zaira’s (Wasim) character Aisha (Chaudhary) decides she’s not going to go in for surgery to extend her life because she doesn’t want to be bed-ridden for the rest of her life. My character Aditi agrees with the decision, but as Aisha’s mother during the scene, I kept thinking about what it must be like to lose a child. So, I just held Shonali and kept saying I was sorry she had to go through this, I couldn’t stop crying. You can empathise with the loss, but won’t really understand the feeling unless you have a child of your own. As a director’s actor, I spoke a lot to Shonali; I also spent a lot of time with Aditi Chaudhary (Aisha’s real mother) in London. The beauty of this film is that every family can relate to it because it’s about normal people with normal problems but extraordinary will.

Tell us about one such conversation with Shonali?
It was during a shoot in Delhi… We sat on a park bench and spoke for an hour. I was about to get married and was missing my dad. We had to shoot a difficult scene as well but we didn’t touch on it, just processed the loss. My dad had been ill and I knew it would happen but it was still painful. We spoke about the inevitability of loss and by the time we went back to the shoot, she didn’t even need to direct me.

Your on-screen daughter Zaira recently announced her retirement from acting, stating that her career was coming in the way of her religion. What do you think of her decision?
It’s a personal choice. Who are we to dictate what someone should and shouldn’t do? She is an amazing actor who has done incredible work. We will always wish her the best.

She has not been a part of the promotions, have you connected with her since her announcement?
I’ve spoken to her many times, but not about her decision to quit films. That’s none of my business. She’s an amazing artiste but maybe it was time for her…

In a recent interview, you spoke about wanting to have a baby. What is the one thing you really want to experience as a mother in real life?
The only thing I pray and wish for is a healthy child who can live life to the fullest.

What kind of a father will Nick Jonas make?
We will find out. It’s a hypothetical question about a hypothetical future.

Okay, what’s Nick like as a husband?
I can only relate to what I saw with my parents’ marriage. That was a marriage of equals, there was a lot of mutual respect and admiration. Nick and I have that too. He is the most considerate man I’ve ever met. In everything he does, Nick puts me first. It’s wonderful to wake up every day and know that there is this person who thinks about you even before you think about yourself. That’s eventually what you want, someone who loves you like a hug.

Did you see your dad in him?
The more I get to know him, yes. I feel I have married someone who is my dad’s chhavi. Not just the music, they are both very stable, solid, rooted and dependable.

Has Priyanka, as a person, changed much after the wedding?
(Laughs) I’ve become nicer and happier. This is the most content I’ve been in a really long time and full credit to my husband who is a calming presence while I run a million miles a minute. We are like each other’s Yin and Yang, that’s what you want to find in your partner.

What is your usual day in Los Angeles like?
We don’t have one as both of us travel a lot. Right now, we are based in New York a lot more than LA. When we have a day off, we don’t access our phones, just grab lunch, chat for hours, watch a movie, take Diana (their pet) for a walk… Nick loves walking in NY and I’m trying to learn how to do that since I’m not much of a walker. But there is something romantic about it, apparently.

What’s happening on the work front in the US?
I’ve just wrapped up a kiddie superhero movie with (director) Robert Rodriguez. It also has Pedro Pascal, Christian Slater and a bunch of other actors and 11 kids. Then, there’s the adapation of the book, The White Tiger and a romcom with Mindy Kaling inspired by my own wedding which I’m producing. I’m a huge fan and when I met her for lunch, we started talking about my wedding, her relationship with India and the story just came out from there. It’s a buddy comedy between two girls and travels from the US to India for an enormous wedding like mine. We are still writing that one. I’m also in talks for an American TV show but can’t divulge details. I’m producing two other TV shows in the US too but won’t be acting in them.

What’s happening with the show on Madhuri Dixit’s life in Denver?
We were developing that, but I don’t know what’s the status on it. It was a sitcom inspired from MD’s life, an Indian actor who moves to the US and what happens next.

Madhuri’s back in the Bay. Do you miss Mumbai?
Of course, I do, but I come back every two-three months because I have a home and work here. So, it’s not like I’m really gone. But I miss the city when I am away. Today I had fresh idlis after three months and it was a great start to my morning.

You are house-hunting in Los Angeles, we’re told...
Yup, we sold our house and are looking for another one. My work dictates my life in both countries so it’s important to have a base in India and the US. It will be Nick and my first home together and that makes it exciting.

Your brother Siddharth has reportedly found love again in South Indian actress Neelam Upadhyay…
Like I said with Zaira, I don’t speak about other people’s life because it’s not my business. You should ask him when you meet him next.

After you stepped out of Bharat, buzz was Salman Khan got upset and took jibes at you while promoting the film. Have you spoken to him since?
The only thing I’d say is that if there was a reaction required you’d have had it by now. Salman is amazing. I’ve always admired him. He came for Nick and my reception, we went to his house, I’m really close to his sister (Arpita Khan). So, there’s never an issue with him.

After Dil Dhadakne Do you’ve reunited with Farhan Akhtar for The Sky Is Pink. Can we hope to see you return with Don 3?
You will have to ask the producers that. No one has spoken to me about it, it’s been almost 10 years.

With this film you’ve made your debut as a Hindi film producer. Any plans to revive the Kalpana Chawla biopic?
I don’t believe in projects, I believe in stories. We are working on the script, when it’s ready, we will green-light it.

Meanwhile you’re playing Ma Anand Sheela in a film adaptation of a 2018 documentary on the Rajneesh cult…
That’s another script we are developing. I am doing it with Barry Levinson who directed Rain Man. I will be producing it.

Buzz is, another favourite director of yours, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, has approached you for his dream project, Gangubai, one of the mafia queens of Mumbai. Simultaneously, it’s also been reported that Alia Bhatt is doing the film.
I have no idea. I haven’t signed a Hindi film yet because the two I’m doing in the US and the one I’m starting next year, are taking up my time. Now, it’s time to go shopping for the next film I’d want to do. I wanted to finish The Sky Is Pink first. I’m a fan of Sanjay Bhansali in whatever he makes, I’ll always be his fan.

There is no textbook case study for an actor, especially for one who left India at the peak of her career to relaunch herself in the US
Aseem Chhabra (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 21, 2019)

In January 2018, Priyanka Chopra traveled to the Sundance Film Festival for the world premiere of director Silas Howard’s film A Kid Like Jake, a story about a four-year-old transgender kid — Jake, who prefers to dress up in girls’ clothes and play with dolls. The film stars Clare Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spenser and Chopra in a brief role of an Indian mother, whose son is friends with Jake.

Chopra’s role was less than 15 minutes long, and it led Variety’s critic to write that even though she had a charming presence, she “slips in and out of the movie without having a compelling reason to be in it”.

The Variety critic made an important point.

In December 2014, when Chopra signed a one-year development deal with ABC network, she stated that she expected to get the kind of work which would give her the same position as she had in India — that of a leading star and actress. And the ABC show Quantico did just that. The show may not have been a favourite with critics and it slowly began to lose its audience, but it was the first time an Indian actress was playing a lead role in an American network’s prime time show.

But post-Quantico (the show was canceled after its truncated Season 3 and its last episode was broadcast on August 3, 2018), Chopra seems to be searching for an answer to where she should take her career next?

A large part of Chopra’s life in the last year was determined by her brief romance, followed by the big fat wedding to the young pop singer Nick Jonas. Her daily postings on Instagram — images of the married couple interlocked in romantic poses, reach her 43 plus million followers, and continue to build the Priyanka Chopra brand. Social media keeps her connected with her fans, especially those in India, and it has been so since her last Bollywood film — Jai GangaaJal was released in March 2016.

So adept she is with social media that she continues to rule the top position of The Hollywood Reporter’s Top Actors’ Social Media Climbers chart.

Earlier this year, Chopra launched an Oprah Winfrey-like inspirational YouTube show — If I Could Tell You Just One Thing. The plan was that in each episode she would talk to women who were high achievers and discuss their lives, the choices they made.

The first episode was posted on March 8, 2019 — International Women’s Day — where Chopra interviewed fashion icon Diane von Fürstenberg, US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, and Asian rapper and actress Awkwafina. The episode has 4.7 million views, but since March, Chopra has not posted a second episode.

“I’m in my mid-thirties,” Chopra says in the trailer for the show. “I am trying to figure out where I go next. Getting married really made me think about what [my] next chapter is.”

In the trailer, Chopra showed an honest side to her. She did not have to speak out openly that she was contemplating her next move. But there has always been a degree of honesty in her.

One cannot imagine someone like Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif give interviews, where they reflect on what to do next. And they do not need to. They continue acting in films, travel, do modeling gigs and seem quite satisfied with the choice they made a while back — to act in Bollywood films and along the way become stars.

But Chopra continues to wade through unchartered waters. There is no textbook case study for an actress, who left India at the peak of her career with films like Bajirao Mastani and Dil Dhadakne Do (both released in 2015) to start a career in the US.

There was no compulsion for her to leave India. But once she chose to act in an American television show, she had to stay in the US for long periods. That meant missing acting opportunities in India.

She did get some work in the US besides Quantico.

The 2017 reboot of the hit TV show Baywatch (right) was the most prominent of the three films she acted in the US. But Baywatch was pretty flat and dull. It was never clear why the film’s producers decided to revive an old television show when the images of sexy women and men running on a beach seem quite dated. To Chopra, the Baywatch project must have appeared exciting and she seemed to enjoy playing the mean Victoria Leeds. Unfortunately, there was hardly any word of praise for her in the Western press. In Sundance, Chopra was asked by Deadline.com why she acted in A Kid Like Jake? And she came up with an impressive answer that what drives her as an artist is fighting for onscreen representation and playing characters that defy societal expectations. It is a noble idea, but one wonders if that would actually be the key goal for a big Bollywood star to leave everything behind and play small supporting roles in Hollywood films?

This February, Chopra’s third film — Isn’t It Romantic opened in theaters in the US. The musical comedy stars Australian actors Rebel Wilson and Liam Hemsworth.

Once again Chopra makes a brief appearance in the film, playing a gorgeous model who shows up in Wilson’s long drawn-out dream sequence, where the characters even break into songs and dances. Having mastered the art of dancing in Bollywood films, Chopra is undoubtedly the best among the rest of the actors in the film. But why she chose to be in a film that gave her just about 12 minutes of screen time is anyone’s guess.

Incidentally, all three of Chopra’s Hollywood films are streaming on Netflix India, but are not available on Netflix’s US version. Does Netflix believes that Chopra’s fan following is still bigger in India? Sure, the company is right. But will her Indian fans watch A Kid Like Jake or Isn’t It Romantic even when she has tiny roles in the two films?

I am not certain about that.

As it often happens with actors, there were a few projects Chopra was exploring in the last year that did not materialise. Due to her impending marriage, Chopra decided not to act in Bharat. There was word that Chopra was set to produce a sit-com based on the life of Madhuri Dixit, while the star lived in the US. But that show did not go beyond the pilot. And a film based on the life of the late astronaut Kalpana Chawla also did not take off. It is said that Chawla’s husband refused to sell her life story to Chopra.

Chopra’s career is still managed by her friend Anjula Acharya and Grubman Shire. But recently Team Priyanka Chopra took a major decision to reboot her flagging career.

Last month, she changed her talent agency — from William Morris Endeavor to United Talent Agency. She joined WME in 2015, after working with Creative Artists Agency for three years. The strategic decision means there could be more projects coming her way.

In the last year she has shot one Indian film (her first since Jai GangaaJal) — director Shonali Bose’s The Sky Is Pink with Farhan Akhtar. Given Bose’s reputation and connection with the Toronto International Film Festival, the film could premiere there in September. Penguin Random House is scheduled to publish Chopra’s book Unfinished this year. Now there are reports Chopra will join Mindy Kaling to produce and star in an untitled wedding comedy which will be set in India.

Priyanka Chopra still has enough balls up in the air and so this much is certain: She will surely surprise us soon enough.

It is too early to write her off.

Divya Kaushik (BOMBAY TIMES; August 9, 2018)

Speculations about her engagement with Nick Jonas may be rife but Priyanka Chopra is in no mood to divulge any details. The actress was in Delhi on Monday afternoon to be a part of FICCI Ladies Organisation’s (FLO) interactive session on ‘Challenging the Status Quo and Forging New Paths’. While she candidly spoke about her journey from Bollywood to Hollywood and how she has broken stereotypes, she made it clear that her personal life is not for “public consumption” and she does not feel the need to give explanation about her relationship. She said, “Ninety per cent of my life is for public consumption, but the remaining is not. My family, friendships, relationships are things I don’t need to defend or explain, I am not running for the Office.” As the actress mentioned ‘Office’, one of the panelists asked her if she had met Donald Trump. “No”, she replied, adding, “Doesn’t move my world if I meet or not meet him.”

‘I TOLD THE AMERICAN TV NETWORK NOT TO COME TO ME WITH A SHOW ‘MY BIG FAT PUNJABI WEDDING’, I WON’T DO IT’
The actress began her session by talking about how she landed a role in Quantico and said that she was always clear that she would never do a role that puts her in a box. To opt for an American television show after doing some 50 Bollywood films wasn’t an easy decision for her. “It was scary, but an organic experience. I was asked by my manager to make music with Jimmy Iovine and that’s how I went to America. People there responded to me in a very casual ‘you are my friend’ tone, so I felt I was relatable to them. When I went to parties like that of the Grammy’s, people asked me why I was not working in America and that made me think about it. The opportunity to be a part of television came to me at a party. The VP of casting at an American commercial broadcast television network asked if I would want to do TV. I told her that TV is a six-year commitment and that I have never done it before. She then flew down to India to talk to me,” said Priyanka.

The actress studied in a high school in America and always wondered why she would never see Indians or South Asians play mainstream roles. “Whenever you saw Indians on mainstream global entertainment platforms, you always saw them being put in a box – either they would be nerds or a big fat Punjabi family. Why should our ethnicity define the role that we play? The only thing I told the TV network was not to come to me with a show that showcases ‘my big fat Punjabi wedding’, I won’t do it. They came to me with 26 scripts and I chose to play an FBI agent who happened to be half-Indian,” said Priyanka. After she became a part of the show, there was a discussion if the name of her character should be changed. “I had an Indian assistant whose name was Jennifer, so I told the team that they were again stereotyping me. They had given me a character and it was my job now to convince the world that I am that person. Every Sunday, I had to convince America that I was an American.” What Priyanka liked the most about Alex Parrish was that “she was an unapologetic modern woman who lives her life on her own terms. She is extremely flawed, she is a loner and she uses people. Basically, she is playing a man and that’s awesome, as girls don’t get to play that.”

‘I DON’T REGRET DOING BAYWATCH’
Priyanka’s first Hollywood film with Dwayne Johnson might not have broken records, but the actress says that she doesn’t regret doing it. “I don’t know many actresses who have got a chance to play a character like that in a mainstream American movie. Reviews spoke very well of me. I don’t think it was a bad decision, my dad is not sitting in Hollywood saying ‘oh, let me make a film for you’. I have to choose from what I get as a new actor and I am building opportunities for myself. I thought going toe to toe with Dwayne Johnson, which most guys don’t end up doing, was great. The only thing I missed was not getting to wear the iconic swimsuit,” she said.

Over the last few years, a section of Indians have become quite intolerant and touchy over a lot of issues, particularly the depiction of religion and country in our films. We saw that for the first time in all its glory with PK with regards to certain scenes that hurt the religious sentiments. Then Aamir Khan’s intolerance statement came under the fire. In recent times, we saw Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhasker and Kareena Kapoor Khan being targeted for raising their voice on the Kathua rape case. In case of Swara, the trollers, most of them right-wingers, pressurized Amazon India who then deleted Swara’s endorsing tweet.

These trollers are now back in action and this time, their target is Priyanka Chopra. A recent episode in her international TV show Quantico showed ‘Indian nationalists’ planning to frame Pakistanis as the perpetrators of a nuclear attack in the eyes of USA. Priyanka is the one who finds out this plan when she chances upon a ‘rudraksh’ on the body of the terrorist. As expected, a section of netizens went berserk and what followed was the usual brouhaha. Mass trolling happened at first. Priyanka Chopra was asked to apologize. Then somebody realized that she endorses Samsung. So in what has become now a predictable strategy, #BoycottSamsung movement began online. The trollers expected Samsung to go the Amazon way. Thankfully, Samsung has not even bothered to give importance to these troublemakers. What also helped is that since Quantico is an English TV show, it doesn’t have a mass popularity in India. So the common man wasn’t bothered much about this controversy.

Agreed that to show Indians as terrorists framing Pakistanis would definitely raise eyebrows because in reality, the situation is quite the opposite. Also the manner in which it is depicted in the episode is plain silly! But is such kind of backlash really required? Firstly, Quantico is a fictional show. The demand at present is to come up with unpredictable twists that audiences won’t be able to guess. So in that regard, the makers probably thought of such a plot twist to catch the audience unawares. Does this mean the Quantico makers feel the same about Indians in real? Obviously not!

Secondly, why just attack Priyanka Chopra? Did she write the said episode? Critics might argue that she should have refused to shoot for such an ‘offensive’ episode. But can she really do that - stop the production and waste precious time over a frivolous issue? She can’t and thankfully she didn’t! The trollers should have instead attacked director David McWhirter, writer Adam Armus and ABC studios. They are the ones who created and okayed the ‘offensive’ content. But then they are unknown to Indians and criticizing them would not have got the trollers the required traction. As a result, Priyanka Chopra had to face the brunt.

Critics of the Quantico episode also reason that Indians don’t terrorise the way it’s depicted in the show. Agreed but that doesn’t mean one can’t just show it on screen at all! 9 years ago, Tom Hanks starred in a film called Angels & Demons, based on a book on the same name. Both the movie and the novel showed Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church of Vatican as a murderer and who executed a devious plan so that he could be the next Pope. Has something of this level ever happened? No way! But that didn’t deter the writer and the makers to show it on celluloid. And thankfully it released without a problem. The prequel, The Da Vinci Code, did face issues but only in conservative countries, and that sadly also includes India. But in the rest of the world, especially in the home market in North America, the film released seamlessly. Yes, some people had reservations with the content and they expressed it and that’s totally acceptable. But nowhere did mass trolling happen and Tom Hanks was neither forced to apologize nor was the brand he was endorsing was threatened with boycott!

Just 2 weeks ago, a film released named Bhavesh Joshi Superhero which surprisingly had a similar plot like Quantico. A powerful minister of Maharashtra in the film devises a plan to bomb the pipelines supplying water to Mumbai and then put the blame on the agents of ‘dushman desh’! Since the film bombed big time and it didn’t star a much known actor, this aspect went unnoticed. I wonder if these trollers would have kept quiet had the film starred a bigger actor. 

As of now, ABC Studios have apologized for the said episode of ‘Quantico’ and so has Priyanka Chopra. The trollers must be feeling victorious. This has set a dangerous precedent. Tomorrow, anything remotely offensive to a section of Indians can bring the makers of a show or a film to their knees. The whole world has noticed this controversy and I shudder to think how they must be laughing on us and our low tolerance levels.

RIP Freedom of Expression.

THE TIMES OF INDIA (June 9, 2018)

US television studio ABC has apologized to Indian fans of its crime drama “Quantico” after an episode featuring ‘Hindu nationalists’ trying to frame Pakistan in a terror plot sparked online outrage against Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra.

“The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn’t create the show, nor does she write or direct it,” said Walt Disney-owned ABC in its statement.

“The show has featured antagonists of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, but in this case we inadvertently and regrettably stepped into a complex political issue. It was certainly not our intention to offend anyone,” ABC said.

After the recent ‘Quantico’ episode, Chopra has faced online attack, and even some calls to boycott her work and the brands that she endorses, including South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co.

After Priyanka Chopra's show draws ire for depicting Indians as anti-social elements, Quantico writer Sharbari Ahmed says fans' reaction rooted in bias
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 7, 2018)

Priyanka Chopra found herself facing flak from Indian fans after the latest episode of her American crime thriller, Quantico, went on air over the weekend. Netizens went into a tizzy after the episode, titled The Blood Of Romeo, showed Indian nationalists plotting an attack in Manhattan with the ulterior motive of blaming it on Pakistan. Though Chopra maintained a dignified silence following the backlash, Sharbari Ahmed, one of the writers of the first two seasons, is appalled at the impassioned reaction of the Indian audience.

Taking up for Priyanka Chopra, with whom she has worked closely over the years, she says, "Priyanka is a smart woman. I doubt she would be involved if the episode was offensive. ABC [the producers] would be sensitive to that as well. It is absurd that there is such an uproar about a fictional show."

The Bangladeshi-American author — the brains behind the characters of the twin Muslim FBI agents, Nimah and Raina Amin, on the show — adds that one should be skeptical of the wave of nationalism that has swept the country. "I haven't seen the episode, but the swift reaction indicates the state of mind that India is in. It is so similar to the absurd reaction they had to Padmaavat. The idea of nationalism in itself is taking on a problematic colour. It says essentially that I am better than you, my culture and beliefs are superior to yours."

Ahmed calls out the deep-rooted bias in the Indian audience as she says, "Hindu nationalists are not exempt from criticism. Of course, no one had a problem when there were Muslim terrorists on season one! The nationalist groups — be it Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist — take things too personally. The world we are living in is a bit scary."

Divya Kaushik (BOMBAY TIMES; April 14, 2018)

It seems that coming to India is never exhausting for Priyanka Chopra, even if it is just for 16 hours. The actress recently spared a day from her tight shooting schedule in Ireland to be in Delhi to attend an event as the Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF. During her brief visit to the city, she also met her mother, Madhu Chopra. Soon after attending the Partners’ Forum 2018, we met her for a quick chat and Priyanka candidly talked about her life in Hollywood by elaborating on topics such as attending the Emmy Awards with five other South Asians last year, the gender pay gap in Hollywood and her meeting with young children who want to be like her. Excerpts:

‘WHETHER IT IS BOLLYWOOD OR HOLLYWOOD, THERE ARE ONLY A FEW ROLES FOR WOMEN THAT ARE AMAZING’
In a recent article, Priyanka revealed that she lost a part in a movie last year because of her skin colour. While the article was doing the rounds on social media, the actress clarified that the point she wanted to address was how women are “put in the box” all the time, whether it is in India or elsewhere. She said, “What I was trying to say is that women are put in the box all the time. In this case, they wanted someone with a different physicality and that was what I was told and then the interpretation was that they wanted someone from a different race and I didn’t understand that. I was affected by that a little bit. It has happened a bunch of times.” The problem, she said, is that the number of good lead roles for an actress are still very less. “Whether it is Bollywood or Hollywood, there are a few roles for women that are just amazing. You know, leading parts that will excite women, so whenever there are such roles, women try and get those, which makes it easier for a producer or a studio to say, ‘You know, if you won’t settle at the price that we want to give you, we will get somebody else’, because there are so many people who want that. There are not enough opportunities for women. Until we create those opportunities, people are either going to tell me that I am of the wrong skin colour or they’ll ask me to do the film for one per cent of what the hero is getting, because, ‘I am sorry, par aise hi toh picture banti hai,’ which I was told until last year. It still happens and it will continue to happen, but the thing is that I have the ability to talk about it. There are people who would stand next to me and say, ‘Yeah, that is happening and it is alright to talk about it’,” said Priyanka.

‘AT THE EMMY AWARDS, WE WERE VERY EXCITED THAT WE WERE SIX SOUTH ASIANS TOGETHER’
How South Asians are now visible in America at prominent positions has been a topic of discussion for some time. From Mindy Kaling to Riz Ahmed, the examples are many. Priyanka says that she has never considered getting recognition in some other country an achievement. “As an actor, I want to be the best that I can be. The fact that I am working in another country or getting recognition there is not my achievement. My achievement is that people know me through my work. I was at the Emmys when Riz Ahmed won his Emmy for lead actor in a limited series. We were all standing and excitedly talking about how there were six South Asians at the Emmys that year (2017). Five years ago, there must have been only two. Mindy Kaling once said in one of her interviews that there was never a part that really came to her. She had to write the parts that came to her. Main writer bani nahi hoon abhi tak, but I am someone who has really dug my feet in when I have gone there on behalf of the South Asian community,” said Priyanka.

‘I HOPE THAT IN MY LIFETIME, I GET TO SEE A FEMALE-LED FILM BREAK BOX OFFICE RECORDS’
Be it as part of the film industry as an actor and producer, or as the Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF, Priyanka has always volunteered for equal rights for women and has spoken about the gender pay gap, which she said isn’t just the problem of Bollywood and Hollywood. “This is a global problem — women are second class citizens. We are living in a patriarchal world, whether it is in America or India. I hope that in my lifetime, I get to see that a female-led film has broken the number records, which Wonder Woman did in 2017. We finally had a woman superhero film, directed by a female and it earned big money in the global entertainment industry. I hope that in my lifetime, I can see more movies like that. That will change the mindset of the society in general — where you can accept a woman as a hero, where it’s okay for a boy to say I want to be like her. Like I have had little boys coming to me and say that to me about Quantico, that I want to fight like Alex Parrish. It’s so amazing to play a character that affects a unisex mindset. Now that is a movement we need to see,” said Priyanka, who made it to the list of world’s highest paid TV actresses in 2017. “I don’t like to speak about money and the specifics, but I think I need to make this point — check the list of male and female actors in that list, and check the income disparity between number one female and number one male. It is the same medium, but still that disparity. So, I am not going to say ‘Yay! I am a part of that international list.’ That is not my aim,” she said.

‘MY FATHER TOLD ME NOT TO BE AFRAID TO HAVE AN OPINION'
Priyanka has been meeting women in small villages and towns across the world, creating awareness on issues. Talking about her experiences, she said, “I have been working for a decade or so as a Goodwill Ambassador and the most incredible thing for me is to meet these women across the world and realise the tenacity and confidence these girls have, despite dealing with different issues in their lives — issues like child marriage, displacement and different kinds of abuse. I go to a refugee camp or to a small village and meet girls not getting opportunities, but still many of them do end up becoming community leaders because they have support from their communities.”

Talking about restrictions that girls often have to face, Priyanka said, “We often restrict our girls and they are often asked, ‘Tum kahan gayi thi?’ Does anyone ask boys this? Why we don’t ask boys is because it is believed that guys are free, they can do anything. Girls don’t feel empowered enough by the men around them, confident enough that they can achieve their dreams.”

She added that she was raised to be an opinionated girl. “I come from a very privileged background, and by privilege I don’t mean wealth, I mean that my parents asked my opinion. I was raised to be an opinionated girl. My father told me, ‘Don’t be afraid to have an opinion, and if you do, raise it, say it’. I was raised as a thinking person. I’m privileged, all of us sitting here are privileged because we have roofs on our heads, we have food that we can eat, we have the ability to go to school, we have the ability to make our own choices and our own decisions. When we are that privileged, it is our social responsibility, it is our social duty to make a difference to someone’s life, somehow, somewhere,” she said.


Priyanka also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her Delhi visit, alongwith Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Michelle Bachelet, former president of Chile and Incoming Chair of PMNCH (Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health)

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 10, 2018)

When Priyanka Chopra enjoyed a mini-vacay in India last month, little did she know that she would be back so soon. The actor, who has been associated with UNICEF for over a decade now, will fly down to Delhi tomorrow for an event that aims to raise awareness on child’s rights.

A source close to the actor tells mid-day, “The invite came a week ago when PeeCee was shooting for the third season of Quantico in Ireland. But she decided to squeeze time out for the appearance. The event will see her deliver a talk about the importance of child education in rural India.”

Joining her in the capital will be her mother, Madhu Chopra. “She didn’t want to miss the chance of seeing Priyanka, even if it’s for a few hours.”

Given her chock-a-block schedule, Chopra will attend the do before flying out on Wednesday night — just in time to report to shoot on Thursday. The source adds, “PeeCee is in India for merely 16 hours. She has to be back on set in Dublin to shoot an action sequence for the show. Since she is taking two days’ leave, she will have to make up for the lost time in the course of the week.”

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; March 31, 2018)

She may have made a splash in the West courtesy her Alex Parrish act, but mid-day has it that Priyanka Chopra is considering opting out of Quantico - blame it on her love for Bollywood movies. The actor, who made a pit stop in India last week before flying out to Ireland for the drama's third season shoot, went through a few Hindi film scripts. Salman Khan's Bharat was apparently one of the few that caught her fancy.

Says a source, "Priyanka was quite taken by the script of Bharat. What also added to her excitement was that it would give her the chance to team up with Salman after a decade. But she's not signed on the dotted line yet."

However, if she gives her nod to this project, it'll throw a spanner in the next season of Quantico. An insider suggests that Priyanka Chopra is not too keen on the cop drama having a fourth season. "Priyanka feels the show will lose steam if they continue with more seasons. Before pursuing any more international offers, she wants to do a Hindi film."

Chopra is expected to return to India later this year after promoting the latest season of Quantico in the US. "Any clarity on Quantico's next season will only come after the third season has been aired. She won't say no to them if the next season is sanctioned, but she fears being repetitive," adds the source. Chopra's spokesperson refused to comment.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; December 21, 2017)

Today, Bollywood actors aren’t confining themselves to just acting on the big screen. They have a wide array of options to showcase their prowess — judging a reality show on television, venturing into the digital space with a web series, producing or directing a film and even turning a singer.

Sonakshi Sinha is one of the few actors who has already done a few of those things. When we asked her if she sees herself in a web series or aspires to become a director or producer in the near future, here’s what she had to say:

NO DIRECTION, PLEASE!
“A director’s job is the most difficult on the sets. There are so many aspects of handling a film and I don’t think I am qualified for it. I neither have the inclination nor the patience.”

KEEN TO TURN PRODUCER
“I would like to produce films I believe in. But I haven’t given myself any time frame. Whenever it has to happen, it will happen automatically. Today, actresses, who are producers, are backing films which they think should be made.”

WEB SERIES? WHY NOT!
“Everyone is heading towards the digital space. They are also making great stuff. Look at the TV series of the West, they are made on a grand scale and are as big as movies. Priyanka (Chopra) is doing a Quantico and Saif (Ali Khan) is doing Sacred Games. If something as good was offered to me, I’d love to take it up.”

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 15, 2017)

Priyanka Chopra, who arrives in Mumbai over the weekend, will address a gathering of 1,500 youngsters in the Capital on December 26 as UNICEF Global Goodwill ambassador.

The literary event is in its 11th year and has had leaders like the Dalai Lama, Amartya Sen, Thomas Friedman, Amitabh Bachchan, Dan Brown, and Ruskin Bond address the gathering in the past.

The actress has wrapped up the mid-season finale of her American TV show Quantico and will take off for a five-day vacation with her family and close friends on New Year’s Eve.

While in India, PeeCee will be heading to her hometown of Bareilly where she will be awarded an honorary doctorate from her University.

The four-bedroom apartment on the top floor of a skyscraper has a spectacular view of Manhattan
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 8, 2017)

Priyanka and Diana Chopra (PeeCee’s social media-savvy pooch) have moved into a swanky four-bedroom apartment in Manhattan after two months of living in studio rentals and hotel hopping. PeeCee’s new home in New York City is a steal. Located on the top floor of a skyscraper, it has a great view of the city from the floor-to-ceiling-windows.

The 35-year-old-actress who is presently filming the third season of her TV show, Quantico, in the US, has wrapped up two Hollywood films, Silas Howard’s A Kid Like Jake as single mom Amal, and Todd Strauss-Schulson’s Isn’t It Romantic in which she plays yoga ambassador Isabella. She is currently reading a dozen more scripts.

“The décor is simple but PeeCee has personalised the space with cream and gold pillows with “pri”, life quotes and other messages embossed on them – all of which are gifts from her friends and fans. She is keen to keep up with her tradition of playing a radiant host during Indian festivals at her new home too,” a source close to the actress told Mirror.

PeeCee had moved out from her mother, Madhu Chopra’s Versova residence to a new, more luxurious pad in Juhu around 2016. The mother-daughter duo is now looking to invest in real estate across the world beginning with NYC. She is expected to be back in Maximum City by the year-end and will take off with family and close friends for a short holiday to an undisclosed location for New Year Eve before resuming work in early 2018.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 29, 2017)

Soon after she wraps up shooting for her upcoming Hollywood flick, Isn't It Romantic?, over a packed 40-day schedule, Priyanka Chopra dives head first into the preparation for Quantico 3. Sources say, the actor has a series of intense stunts in store.

A source adds, "The stunts will be orchestrated on a grander scale. PeeCee will train with a noted stunt choreographer in California. She will learn rifle and gun shooting, and will work on her agility for the chase sequences and aerial stunts. Since she doesn’t use body doubles, the pressure of wowing the audience lies on her."

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 15, 2017)

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; June 28, 2017)

British-Indian composer Anoushka Shankar, who’s collaborating with Indian artistes, said in a recent interview that the West is collaborating a lot with India because they have realised Indians are extremely talented, and there’s a huge market for them because we’re such a big country.

Priyanka Chopra agrees, “Of course, that’s true. It’s been happening for years in movies. Most American studios — Warner Brothers, Fox, etc, have set up here since six-seven years. That’s an old, famous mandate. We have technicians and writers coming down and working with us because we’re the biggest movie producing industry in the world. If you include regional films, we make about 900 movies a year. Our movies transcend borders. No other country can boast of something like that. In terms of business, India makes so much sense. The music industry is also realising that.”

The talented twosome
If she could collaborate with a music artiste, who would she choose? Pat comes the reply, “In America, Beyonce. I think she is amazing and a suave performer. I admire her.”

Down the drain
Ask her what happened to her music album plans, and she laughs, “It went down the drain. I got really tied up, and when Quantico happened, I wasn’t prepared for it. Nobody expected it to run into so many episodes. We started with just 13 episodes and it blew up, so a lot of my time was spent in doing Seasons 1 and 2 of the show and Baywatch. Before that, Bajirao Mastani and Jai GangaaJal were happening at the same time. I was caught up with all my acting projects, so I couldn’t do music at that time.”

Missing her riyaaz
The actress rues that she doesn’t get time to practise vocals. “I’m terrible at riyaaz. I think that is also half the reason that I am scared of going back into the studio. I’m so nervous that riyaaz nahi kiya, what will happen? But it is such an amazing experience to actually be in the studio and make music,” she concludes.

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; June 4, 2017)