It is impossible to talk about Bollywood without mentioning star actress Priyanka Chopra. As an incredible model, Chopra began her career by winning the Miss World 2000 pageant for India, the same year that Lara Dutta won the Miss Universe pageant for India as well. After this monumental achievement, Chopra began working in hit Hindi films such as Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Krrish, and Don, later returning to the sequels of the latter two movies. However, her career in Bollywood was just beginning. Chopra went on to play central roles as a prideful queen in Bajirao Mastani, a businesswoman overlooked by her family in Dil Dhadakne Do, and a fierce boxer in Mary Kom. (Based on the true story of boxer Mary Kom) She earned herself 5 Filmfare awards, 4 IIFA awards, and even a National Award all before the age of 32.
Such a star actress would have been able to pursue a career in Bollywood movies for many more years. However, her career took a dramatic shift in 2015-2016: Bollywood to Hollywood. A star in the Hindi film industry left everything to start a completely new life in America.
But why?
Priyanka Chopra found herself at odds with one of the most influential people in Bollywood: Producer Karan Johar. At the height of her career, rumors began spreading that she was in a relationship with another Bollywood legend, Shah Rukh Khan. While this rumor has never been confirmed by either person, a friend of the actress made a public statement that Johar was costing Chopra many roles in Bollywood movies to save Shah Rukh Khan’s marriage. Johar soon responded to these allegations by posting a tweet that attacked Chopra and said her attempt at spreading controversy through her friend was both “spineless and lame”.
After being part of a feud against one of the biggest directors in Bollywood, Chopra was obviously getting sidelined in the industry. Her illustrious career that she had worked so hard to gain was slipping through her fingers. If she had still gotten no roles, she may have faded into oblivion. Was everything lost?
No.
Soon after this comment was posted, Priyanka Chopra moved to Los Angeles and began to conquer a different genre of television. After releasing 3 singles in Los Angeles with little success, Chopra auditioned for the starring role in the TV series Quantico and received the part, going on to play FBI agent Alex Parrish from 2015 to 2018. After this monumental success, roles in Hollywood became ever more accessible to Chopra, and she went on to star in Isn’t It Romantic, The White Tiger, The Matrix Resurrections, Love Again, and another action series called Citadel.
Priyanka Chopra’s relationship with SRK is nothing but a rumor, as an illicit relationship may not have been the real reason behind her conflict with Karan Johar. However, if these rumors were a scheme designed by Chopra’s marketing team, they definitely reshaped her career. She became an internationally renowned actress instead of simply being a Bollywood star, and some may even say that her switch to Hollywood ended up becoming her biggest blessing.