Priyanka Chopra stepped into Bollywood after winning Miss World 2000 and quickly proved her acting range with films like Andaaz and Aitraaz. With just a few films, she earned critical attention early in her career and became a star.
Over the next decade, PeeCee became one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars with hits such as Fashion – for which she also won a National Award. She then starred in films like Don, Krrish and Barfi. The actress also worked with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in his 2015 movie Bajirao Mastani.
Priyanka consistently chose complex, performance-driven characters, helping redefine what mainstream heroines could do in Hindi cinema. But things changed in early 2010. Priyanka publicly hinted that she was ‘pushed into a corner’, felt isolated and lost projects due to industry politics — leading to the widespread perception that she was being ‘sidelined’.
While Priyanka was never officially ‘banned’, she has stated in interviews that circumstances made it difficult to continue working in Bollywood at that time, which ultimately influenced her decision to look beyond India.
In an interview in 2023, PeeCee recalled the touch time in Bollywood when she told Dax Shepard on his podcast Armchair Expert, “I was being pushed into a corner in the industry (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.”
After taking a break from Bollywood, Priyanka took a major risk by starting almost from scratch in the West. She made her international debut with the TV series Quantico (2015). She later also starred in hit shows and movies like Heads of State, Baywatch and The Matrix Resurrections.
Apart from acting, Priyanka Chopra has also established herself as a producer, author, entrepreneur and UN Goodwill Ambassador, solidifying her status as a global icon.
Now, Priyanka Chopra is all set to return to Bollywood soon with SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi. The film, which also stars Mahesh Babu in the lead, is indeed one of the most anticipated films. While the shooting of the mega movie is currently, it has been reported that PeeCee will be seen playing a character named Mandakini in Rajamouli’s sci-fi action-adventure.
During her preparation for Varanasi, the actress made headlines by confirming she will dub her own Telugu dialogues in the film. In response to a query from a fan on Instagram, she only said, “Yes, I am. Practising hard.”
