Highlights
- Actress says restarting in her 30s meant walking away from financial security and stardom in India
- Recalls stereotypes she faced in early meetings in the West
- Opens up about scrutiny around her marriage to Nick Jonas
Walking away at the top
Priyanka Chopra has said her decision to pursue a career in the West came at a time when she was firmly established in Hindi cinema, making the move both risky and unsettling.
Speaking to Variety, the 43-year-old said beginning again in her 30s meant giving up stability. “To restart your career in your 30s is terrifying. I was secure. I was doing well financially. I was established. And I chose to blow it up,” she said.
Chopra moved to the United States around 2015, at a point when she was among the leading names in Bollywood. Rather than consolidate that position, she opted to test herself in a new industry.
Facing assumptions in early meetings
Reflecting on her early experiences in Hollywood, Chopra said she was met with preconceived ideas about her background.
“People would be like, ‘Oh, you speak English well.’ There was a preconceived notion of me whenever I went in for a meeting before I walked into the room,” she said, describing the subtle stereotyping she encountered.
Her Western breakthrough came with the lead role in the television series Quantico. She later appeared in films including Baywatch and The Matrix 4, and has since fronted projects such as Citadel, Heads of State and the upcoming pirate adventure The Bluff, co-starring Karl Urban.
Return to Indian cinema
Chopra is set to return to Indian screens with SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi, scheduled for theatrical release in April 2027. The pan-India production is described as a time-travelling adventure rooted in Indian history and will see her share the screen with Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran.
Her last Hindi film release was The Sky Is Pink, which arrived before the pandemic.
On marriage and public scrutiny
In the same interview, Chopra addressed the commentary that has surrounded her marriage to singer-actor Nick Jonas.
“We're eight years in. If people want to keep waiting for it to implode, that's their choice. I stopped thinking about it. I don't know what was it about us that rubbed people the wrong way. I think there was the intercultural nature of it – different countries, different religions, age gap. It was very hurtful,” she said.
She added that over time, the couple chose to focus on each other rather than outside noise. “And we both, instead of looking out, just sort of looked at each other, and we were like, ‘It doesn't matter.’ So it's like water off a duck's back now.”
Chopra and Jonas married in Rajasthan in December 2018. They welcomed their daughter, Malti Marie Chopra Jonas, in January 2022.
The actress also reflected on the speed of their relationship and what she admires about her husband. “We got married really quick, within six months of meeting. When I first married him, I didn't know if it was even real… But Nick has this absolute sincerity. It inspires me every day,” she said.
“He's constantly sincere… His parents are the most wonderful, levelheaded, absolute saints, so I can see where it comes from. But it's such a disarming quality about him,” Chopra added.
