Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas on Wednesday said her move from Bollywood to Hollywood has not yet given her the same range of work she had in India. Speaking at the Cannes Lions conference, the 43-year-old said her Hindi-language career gave her the chance to work with leading filmmakers and actors, tell different stories and explore several genres. According to Priyanka, her English-language work has not offered the same variety so far.
The Mary Kom actor said her next goal is to bring that kind of variety to her English-language roles. She also spoke about producing her own films to create lead parts that studios did not usually imagine an Indian actor playing.
“In my Hindi-language career, I’ve worked with all the best filmmakers and the best actors, I’ve told amazing stories and done a variety of genres. Whereas in America, in Hollywood, in my English-language work, I haven’t really done that as much,” she said.
Asked about her next career goals, Priyanka said she wanted to focus on how to “in my English-language work bring that kind of variety to my characters that I have been able to do in India”. She said she wanted more work in which she was the lead and was playing parts that many studios did not imagine for an Indian actor.
“So I started producing my own movies. And I’ve heard this from so many female colleagues of mine that when you want to move along, there’s a glass ceiling that has been set for most women in entertainment. You just have to do it yourself, and that was very inspiring to me,” she said.
How marriage and motherhood changed her choices
On a personal note, Priyanka said her “life has changed tremendously” after marriage and motherhood. She said, “Your priorities really change. I don’t just pack my bags and go off for a movie anymore. I don’t do five films a year. I don’t travel the way I used to. I’m really, really selective about the time I spend and who I spend it with… I’m navigating working-mom life. I have so much more respect for my mother now.” The actor is married to singer Nick Jonas, with whom she has a daughter named Malti.
Why she stepped away from Bollywood
A few months earlier, Priyanka had spoken about her decision to step away from Bollywood when her career in India was at its peak. On the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, she said, “When I was working in India, I started feeling a little limited. I like using that word because I wanted to see what else was out there.”
Asked if she was going through a difficult phase in Bollywood at the time, she said, “Nothing is an easy ride. We all have battles we deal with. I’m just someone who doesn’t like staying in the s*** because then you get used to the smell.” She added, “I believe strongly in pivoting. When life gets tough, we have the ability to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, take a moment to grieve and feel the pain, and then pivot. I have done that many times in my career.”
Global work and projects ahead
Priyanka’s global credits include Baywatch, The Matrix Resurrections and the recently released The Bluff, apart from series such as Quantico and Citadel.
She will next be seen in SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi and in a project with Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom. She also has filmmaker Mira Nair’s biographical drama Amri in the pipeline.
In a conversation with Fortune India, she also said she is set to work with Hollywood star Angelina Jolie on an upcoming project, though she did not disclose further details. She did not say whether the collaboration was a film, a commercial campaign or a philanthropic initiative.
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