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Show Quick Read<\/span> <\/p>\nKey points generated by AI, verified by newsroom<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n
Back in 2015, Priyanka Chopra made a bold and career-defining move by setting her sights beyond Bollywood and stepping into Hollywood. Determined to carve a space for herself on the global stage, she signed a talent deal with ABC Studios and soon landed the lead role of Alex Parrish in the American thriller series Quantico. When the show premiered on ABC in 2015, it marked a historic moment \u2014 Priyanka became the first South Asian actor to headline a network drama series in the US, instantly drawing international attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou Can\u2019t Break a Brown Bollywood Star In America\u201d: Anjula Acharia On Early Doubts<\/strong><\/h2>\nHowever, the path to that milestone wasn\u2019t free of doubts. Priyanka\u2019s manager, Anjula Acharia, has now revealed that the decision was initially met with widespread skepticism. Many questioned the feasibility of launching a \u201cbrown Bollywood star in America\u201d and even dismissed the idea as unrealistic. Speaking on The Ok Sweetie Show, Acharia opened up about the resistance they faced in the early days.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople told me I was stupid when I bought Priyanka. Everyone was like, \u2018You can\u2019t break a brown Bollywood star in America\u2019. I went to Jimmy (the cofounder of Interscope Records) because we had signed her together through a label deal at Interscope. I was having one of my insecure moments. There weren\u2019t very many, and I was like, \u2018Jimmy, people are saying that I\u2019m crazy,\u2019 and he goes, \u2018Do you know everyone thought I was crazy when I wanted to launch a white rapper whose name was Eminem.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
From cafeteria meetings to center stage: The tough early days in the US<\/strong><\/h2>\nIn the same conversation, Acharia also recalled the early, often discouraging phase of Priyanka\u2019s Hollywood journey. She spoke about the numerous meetings they attended with junior-level executives \u2014 what she described as meeting the \u201cassistant of the assistant\u201d \u2014 and how emotionally difficult that period was to watch.<\/p>\n
\u201cImagine this: you are with the Beyonce of a country, but nobody else knows that she is Beyonce. Just you do. And she is introducing herself and saying, \u2018You don\u2019t know who I am, but I\u2019m Priyanka Chopra.\u2019 I\u2019m meeting the assistant of the assistant in a cafeteria with her. I was suffering from heartbreak for her, but she was so fabulous. She has no ego.\u201d<\/p>\n
Acharia added that working closely with Priyanka has been a lesson in humility and perseverance. She shared that despite her own instincts to turn down certain situations, Priyanka consistently chose to stay grounded and do the work.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has no ego\u201d: How Priyanka Chopra redefined humility and hustle<\/strong><\/h2>\n\u201cPriyanka has actually taught a lot of humility. There have been a lot of times where I have been like, \u2018We don\u2019t have to do this,\u2019 but she is like, \u2018No, yeah we do.\u2019 There have been very specific moments where I\u2019m like, \u2018We are above this,\u2019 and she is like, \u2018No, we are not.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next for Priyanka Chopra on the global stage<\/strong><\/h2>\nOn the professional front, Priyanka Chopra will next be seen in the R-rated pirate adventure The Bluff, where she essays the role of Bloody Mary alongside Karl Urban. The film is slated to premiere on Prime Video on February 25. She is also set to return to Indian cinema with S.S. Rajamouli\u2019s ambitious globetrotting project Varanasi, which stars Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran in key roles.<\/p>\n