I had people not casting me: Priyanka Chopra opens up about her ‘beef’ with Bollywood

Priyanka Chopra, the Bollywood actor-turned-Hollywood star, recently opened up about her decision to leave the Indian film industry. She also spoke about her struggles with people within the fraternity. In an interview on Dax Shephard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Chopra revealed that she was pushed into a corner in Bollywood.

“I had people not casting me, I had beef with people, I am not good at playing that game so I kind of was tired of the politics and I said I needed a break,” Chopra said. She also admitted that while she enjoyed working on Bollywood projects, she struggled with the politics and the need to schmooze certain clubs and cliques.

“When this music thing came, I was like ‘f*** it, I’m going to America’ and Interscope [record label] were amazing, they threw the building at me,” she added. “I worked with Pitbull, will.i.am, Pharrell, Mathew Koma, and many incredible artists. I had dinner with Bruce Springsteen and his wife, I met Jay-Z and Beyonce!”

Journey to Hollywood

The incredibly accomplished star released three singles during her time in the music industry. However, she soon realized that acting was her true calling. “I got completely caught up in this music thing and thought ‘I am a pop star now, forget about this movie thing’, quickly to realize I was much better at my day job,” said the Dil Dhadakne Do star.

Chopra then signed a talent-holding deal with ABC Studios and was cast in the American thriller series Quantico, making history as the first South Asian to headline an American network drama series. Her Hollywood film debut came in Baywatch, where she starred opposite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Zac Efron.

Past wounds and industry politics

During the press conference for Citadel, Chopra was asked about her viral podcast in which she spoke about the reason for her moving to Hollywood. She talked about her situation in Bollywood and the struggles she had to face, including pay disparity and other issues.

“I was talking about the truth of my journey and I think that now where I am I was okay enough to kind of articulate what I felt,” said the Dostana actor. “I forgave, I moved on a long time ago and then I made my peace with it and I think that’s why it was easy for me to talk about it in an open manner in a safe space.”

Chopra’s revelation about her “beef” with people in Bollywood sheds light on the politics and behind-the-scenes manoeuvring that often goes on in the Indian film industry. It also highlights the challenges faced by actresses and the need for equal pay and opportunities.

Chopra’s success and growing influence

With over 80 million followers, Chopra is a social media sensation and among the most influential Indian personalities on Twitter. She was declared the most influential Indian on social media in a survey conducted by Pinstorm in 2012 and was ranked first among Indians on HuffPost’s “100 Most Influential Women on Twitter” list in 2015.

She has been recognized for her accomplishments in various power listings, including Verve’s most powerful Indian Women and India Today’s 50 most powerful people in India. She has also been featured on lists such as People’s Most Intriguing People of the Year and Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.

The multi-award-winning actor, published author and Padma Shri recipient, still takes on the occasional Bollywood project. But her base is now in Hollywood, where she lives with her husband Nick Jonas and their daughter Malti Marie. She will next be seen in the science fiction-thriller series Citadel. In a monumental move, she will receive equal pay as the male lead, Richard Madden.

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Article source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2409841/i-had-people-not-casting-me-priyanka-chopra-opens-up-about-her-beef-with-bollywood