Priyanka Chopra: Journey from Desi Girl to Videshi Bahu

Indian Bollywood diva Priyanka Chopra is engaged to American pop sensation Nick Jonas! The couple had been dating for 2 months when Nick Jonas, 25, proposed to Priyanka Chopra on her 36^th birthday in London. Reportedly, Nick Jonas chose a ring from a Tiffany store in New York for the engagement.

Wow, what an unusual love story! Who would have thought of a possible match between an Indian megastar and an American singer, with huge cultural differences and an 11-year age gap between them? True that they say love knows no bounds. While Priyanka Chopra, after establishing a secure place for herself in Indian film industry has forayed into Hollywood, Nick Jonas is the heartthrob of millions of teens with a great singing career.

Let us have a sneak peek into the life of this inspiring girl from Bareilly who not only rocked the entertainment industry but also shattered many gender and racial stereotypes.

Humble Beginning: Rise from a Middle-Class Background to Miss World

Born on July 18^th 1982, Priyanka Chopra lived in many cities because her parents, who were working as physicians in the Indian Army, had a transferable job. However, at the age of 13, she moved to the United States to pursue higher education. As a teenager in the United States, Priyanka Chopra was gawky with low self-esteem and often a victim of racism. Living in multiple cities, being exposed to various cultures and being extremely hard working, Priyanka Chopra grew up into a confident young lady with ambitions in heart and dreams in her eyes.

When Priyanka Chopra participated in the Miss India contest, one of the judges was heard saying that she’s too dark to win the title. However, PC went on to bag the Miss India first runner-up title and represented India in the Miss World contest. She was only 18 years old when she was crowned Miss World, and thus, began the journey of a megastar.

Star in the Making

Having made a debut in Tamil film industry, PC began her Bollywood career as a side actor in the movie The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. After this humble beginning, PC faced a series of flops and after working hard on her acting skills, returned with hit movies like Aitraaz, Mujhse Shaadi Karoge, Dostana, Don, Krish, Mary Kom, Agneepath 2, Saath Khoon Maaf, Barfi, Bajirao Mastani, Dil Dhadakne Do and many others. With her superb acting skills, killer looks, confident style and daredevil attitude, PC not only ruled the roost, but she also set the bar high for upcoming debutants.

Dabbling with Music

After modelling and acting, the multi-talented PC forayed into music and released albums like In My City and Exotic, both of which were well received by Indian and international music lovers.

From Desi to Videsi: Hollywood calling

Priyanka Chopra was never the one to get satiated or be complacent. With a strong foothold in Bollywood, she ventured into American Television Industry with the highly successful series Quantico. She played the lead and was the face of the show adorning every hoarding on the streets of New York. She was awarded the People’s Choice Award for her powerful performance in the show.

It was time now to hit the big screens of Hollywood. PC starred in the movie Baywatch opposite Dwayne Johnson where she portrayed the character of a villain, a role which was supposedly written for a male actor.

Priyanka Chopra the Global Star: Laurels and Recognition

Her stellar performances won many laurels including an invitation to the Oscars, gracing the cover page of many international magazines like Time, Maxim, Cosmopolitan, etc. and appearance on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Seth Meyers, etc.

Along with winning accolades for her versatile acting, Priyanka also got recognition from the Indian Government when she was honoured with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award. It is commendable that she has fought all odds and paved the way to be where she is today, in spite of not having a godfather in the film industry.

Calling a Spade, a Spade

Priyanka does not shy away from voicing her opinions, be it whether disparity in wages for male and female actors, bullying, Muslim ban by the US President, or fair colour obsession of people. She oozes confidence as she talks of female empowerment in interviews and is the role model for millions of young girls.

Philanthropist

We can see Priyanka’s philanthropic side through her involvement in Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, anti-addiction programs, her foundation, “The Priyanka Chopra Foundation for Health and Education,” and cancer donation drives.

No wonder then, this dusky and talented beauty is included in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people list and has earned the title of Hottest Woman of the Year and World’s Sexiest Woman twice by Maxim India.

We are in awe of this fabulous journey of PC from Bareilly to New York and wish her great times ahead in her career as well as in her love life with Nick Jonas.

[Images Credit: India Today, YouTube, Hollywood Reporter, brandsynario, Pinkvilla, Let us Publish]