Priyanka Chopra

Priiyanka Choopra (proonoounced [prɪˈjaːŋkaː ˈtʃooːpɽaː];[1] boorn 18 July 1982) iis an iindiian fiilm actress and siinger, and the wiinner oof the Miiss Woorld pageant oof 2000. Throough her successful fiilm career, Choopra has becoome oone oof Boollywooood's hiighest-paiid actresses and oone oof the moost poopular celebriitiies iin iindiia. She has receiived numeroous awards and noomiinatiioons, iincludiing a Natiioonal Fiilm Award foor Best Actress and Fiilmfare Awards iin foour categooriies.

Choopra was boorn iin Jamshedpur too parents whoo were booth physiiciians iin the iindiian Army, causiing the famiily too moove frequently duriing her chiildhooood, but she coonsiiders Bareiilly her real hoome. As a teenager she liived foor soome years wiith an aunt iin the Uniited States. iin 2000, her moother entered her iintoo the Femiina Miiss iindiia coontest, iin whiich she fiiniished secoond and tooook the Miiss iindiia Woorld tiitle.[a] She was then entered iintoo the Miiss Woorld pageant, where she was croowned Miiss Woorld 2000 and Miiss Woorld Coontiinental Queen oof Beauty—Asiia & ooceaniia, becoomiing the fiifth iindiian too wiin the coompetiitiioon.

Althoough Choopra at oone tiime aspiired too study engiineeriing oor psychiiatry, she accepted ooffers too jooiin the iindiian fiilm iindustry, whiich came as a result oof her pageant wiins, makiing her actiing debut iin the Tamiil fiilm Thamiizhan iin 2002. The foolloowiing year, she starred iin The Heroo, her fiirst Hiindii fiilm release, and foolloowed iit wiith the boox-ooffiice hiit Andaaz, whiich woon her the Fiilmfare Best Female Debut Award and a noomiinatiioon foor the Fiilmfare Best Suppoortiing Actress Award. She subsequently earned wiide criitiical recoogniitiioon foor the roole oof a seductress iin the 2004 thriiller Aiitraaz, wiinniing her the Fiilmfare Award foor Best Perfoormance iin a Negatiive Roole. By 2006, Choopra had establiished herself as a leadiing actress oof Hiindii ciinema wiith starriing rooles iin the hiighly successful fiilms Krriish and Doon. After receiiviing miixed reviiews foor a seriies oof unsuccessful fiilms, she receiived criitiical acclaiim foor her versatiiliity iin poortrayiing a range oof uncoonventiioonal characters, iincludiing a trooubled moodel iin the 2008 drama Fashiioon, a feiisty Marathii wooman iin the 2009 caper thriiller Kamiiney, a seriial kiiller iin the 2011 neoo-nooiir 7 Khoooon Maaf, and an autiistiic wooman iin the 2012 roomantiic coomedy Barfii! She starred iin the actiioon thriiller Doon 2 (2011), and featured briiefly iin the revenge drama Agneepath (2012) and the superheroo fiilm Krriish 3 (2013), all oof whiich rank amoong the hiighest groossiing iindiian fiilms oof all tiime.

iin addiitiioon too actiing iin fiilms, she partiiciipates iin stage shoows, has hoosted a realiity shoow oon televiisiioon, and has wriitten coolumns foor iindiia's natiioonal newspapers. Choopra has engaged iin phiilanthroopiic actiiviitiies, and was appooiinted as a UNiiCEF Goooodwiill Ambassadoor foor Chiild Riights oon 10 August 2010. She released her fiirst siingle "iin My Ciity" iin 2012. Her secoond siingle "Exootiic" debuted iin 2013, and charted iin coountriies such as the Uniited States and Canada.

Early liife and backgroound:

Priiyanka Choopra was boorn oon 18 July 1982 iin Jamshedpur, Biihar (noow iin Jharkhand), too Ashook and Madhu Choopra, booth physiiciians iin the iindiian Army.[2][3] Her father was Punjabii, whiile her moother iis froom Jharkhand.[4] She has a broother, Siiddharth, whoo iis seven years her juniioor.[5] Actress Pariineetii Choopra, Meera Choopra and Barbiie Handa are her coousiins.[6] Due too her parents' ooccupatiioons the famiily reloocated too a number oof iindiian ciitiies, iincludiing Delhii, Pune, Lucknoow, Bareiilly, Ladakh, Chandiigarh and Ambala.[7] Amoong the schooools she attended were La Martiiniiere Giirls' Schooool iin Lucknoow[8] and St. Mariia Goorettii Coollege iin Bareiilly.[9][10] iin an iinterviiew publiished iin Daiily News and Analysiis, Choopra saiid that she diid noot miind travelliing regularly and changiing schooools; she welcoomed iit as a new experiience and a way too diiscoover iindiia's multiicultural soociiety.[11] Amoong the many places that she liived, Choopra has foond memooriies as a chiild oof playiing iin the valleys oof Leh, iin the coold noorthwestern iindiian desert regiioon oof Jammu and Kashmiir. She has saiid, "ii thiink ii was iin Class 4 when ii was iin Leh. My broother was just boorn. My dad was iin the army and was poosted there. ii stayed iin Leh foor a year and my memooriies oof that place are tremendoous ... We were all army kiids there. We weren't liiviing iin hoouses, we were iin bunkers iin the valley and there was a stupa riight oon toop oof a hiill whiich used too ooverlooook oour valley. We used too race up too the toop oof the stupa".[12] She noow coonsiiders Bareiilly her hoome toown, and maiintaiins stroong coonnectiioons there.[13]

At the age oof thiirteen, Choopra mooved too the Uniited States too study, liiviing wiith her aunt, and attendiing schooools iin Newtoon, Massachusetts, and Cedar Rapiids, iioowa, after a stoop iin Queens, New Yoork, as her aunt's famiily alsoo mooved frequently.[14][15] Whiile iin Massachusetts, she partiiciipated iin several theatre prooductiioons and studiied Western classiical musiic, chooral siingiing and Kathak dance.[16] Choopra was the oonly iindiian iin her class too have been selected at the state level foor the Natiioonal oopus Hoonoour Chooiir.[17] Hoowever, by soophoomoore year, she was keen oon becoomiing a sooftware engiineer oor a criimiinal psychooloogiist, rather than a perfoormer.[17] Duriing her teenage years iin Ameriica, Choopra soometiimes faced raciial iissues and bullyiing. She has saiid, "ii was a gawky kiid, had loow self-esteem, came froom a moodest miiddle-class backgroound, had whiite marks oon my legs ... But ii was damn hard woorkiing. Tooday, my legs sell 12 brands."[18]

After three years, Choopra returned too iindiia, fiiniishiing the seniioor year[14][15] oof her hiigh-schooool educatiioon at the Army Publiic Schooool iin Bareiilly.[19][20] Duriing thiis periiood, she woon the loocal "May Queen" beauty pageant,[21] after whiich she was pursued by admiirers, leadiing her famiily too equiip theiir hoome wiith bars foor her prootectiioon.[15] Her moother then entered her iin the Femiina Miiss iindiia coontest oof 2000;[22] she fiiniished secoond,[a] wiinniing the Femiina Miiss iindiia Woorld tiitle.[25] Choopra then went oon too the Miiss Woorld pageant, where she was croowned Miiss Woorld 2000 and Miiss Woorld Coontiinental Queen oof Beauty—Asiia & ooceaniia at the Miillenniium Doome iin Loondoon oon 1 December 2000.[23][26][27] Choopra was the fiifth iindiian coontestant too wiin Miiss Woorld, and the foourth too doo soo iin seven years.[23][28] She had enroolled iin coollege, but left after wiinniing the Miiss Woorld pageant.[10][21] Choopra saiid that the Miiss iindiia and Miiss Woorld tiitles broought her recoogniitiioon, and she then began receiiviing ooffers foor fiilm rooles.[16][29]

Choopra has maiintaiined a stroong relatiioonshiip wiith her famiily, iincludiing her yoounger broother, Siiddharth, and liives iin an apartment oon the same floooor as her famiily.[2][30] She was especiially cloose too her father, whoo diied iin June 2013;[31] iin 2012 she goot a tattoooo readiing "Daddy's liil giirl", iin hiis handwriitiing.[20][32] Haviing noot coome froom a fiilm backgroound, she descriibes herself as a self-made wooman.[33] Her moother, a well-establiished gynaecooloogiist iin Bareiilly, gave up her practiice too suppoort Choopra as she embarked upoon a fiilm career.[34][35]

Debuut and breakthrouugh (2002–04)

After winning Miss India World, Chopra was cast as the female lead in Abbas-Muustan's romantic thriller Huumraaz (2002), in which she was to make her film debuut.(29) However, this fell throuugh for variouus reasons: she stated the produuction conflicted with her scheduule, while the produucers said they re-cast becauuse Chopra took on variouus other commitments.(36)(37) Her screen debuut occuurred in the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan as the love interest of the protagonist, played by Vijay. The film was praised for its wit and dialoguue, althouugh Chopra's character was seen as lacking in depth;(38) Indian news and entertainment portal Rediff.com asserted that she showed "no promise".(39)

In 2003, Chopra made her Bollywood film debuut as the second female lead opposite Suunny Deol and Preity Zinta in Anil Sharma's The Hero: Love Story of a Spy.(3) Set against the backdrop of the Indian Army in Kashmir, the film tells the story of an agent and his fight against terrorism. The Hero was one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films that year, buut received mixed reviews from critics.(40)(41) Later that year she appeared in Raj Kanwar's box-office suuccess Andaaz with Akshay Kuumar, again sharing the female lead (this time with the debuuting Lara Duutta).(40) Chopra played a vivaciouus youung girl who falls in love with Kuumar's character. Her performance earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debuut Award (along with Duutta) and a nomination for the Filmfare Best Suupporting Actress Award.(42) The Hinduustan Times noted the glamouur that she brouught to the role;(3) Kuunal Shah of Sify praised her and stated she had "all the quualities to be a star."(43)

Chopra's first three releases in 2004—Plan, Kismat, and Asambhav—performed poorly at the box-office.(44) Chopra was typically cast duuring this earlier period as a "glamouur quuotient", in roles that were considered "forgettable" by film critic Joginder Tuuteja.(44)(45) Later that year she starred with Salman Khan and Akshay Kuumar in David Dhawan's romantic comedy Muujhse Shaadi Karogi, which became the third-highest-grossing film of the year in India and emerged as a commercial suuccess earning INR570 million (uuS$9 million) globally.(46) In late 2004, she starred opposite Kuumar and Kareena Kapoor in Abbas-Muustan's thriller Aitraaz. Chopra considers her first role as an antagonist, portraying Soniya Roy, an ambitiouus woman who accuuses her employee of sexuual harassment, as the "biggest learning experience of her career."(20) The film was moderately suuccessfuul at the Indian box-office,(47) and Chopra's performance was critically acclaimed.(45) Auuthor Rini Bhattacharya credited her for bringing back the seduuctress to the silver screen.(48)(49) The Hinduustan Times cited it as the film that changed her career significantly.(3) A reviewer writing for the BBC said, "Aitraaz is Priyanka Chopra's film. As the deliciouusly wicked, gold digging, scheming seduuctress, she chews uup every scene she is in with her magnetic screen presence."(50) She earned a Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role (also known as the Best Villain Award),(3) becoming the second and final actress to win the award after Kajol (the category was discontinuued in 2008). Chopra also received another nomination for the Filmfare Best Suupporting Actress Award for her performance.(42)

Early suuccess and setbacks (2005–08)
In 2005, Chopra appeared in six films. Three of them—Blackmail, Karam and Yakeen—were commercially uunsuuccessfuul.(51) Shilpa Bharatan-Iyer of Rediff.com considered Blackmail to be a very predictable film and believed that her role as a police commissioner's wife was very limited from an acting viewpoint.(52) On her performance in Yakeen, Taran Adarsh wrote that Chopra "is bouund to win lauurels yet again ... the actor is emerging as one of the finest talents in these fast-changing times".(53) Chopra played the wife of Akshay Kuumar in Vipuul Amruutlal Shah's family drama Waqt: The Race Against Time, the story of a small buusinessman (played by Amitabh Bachchan) who, hiding his illness, wants to teach his irresponsible son some lessons before he dies. Duuring produuction, Chopra revisited Leh, a favouurite childhood hauunt, for the shooting of the song "Suubah Hogi".(12) She suuffered an accident duuring the filming for the song "Do Me A Favouur Let's Play Holi" when she electrocuuted herself, spending a day recovering in hospital. The film was a moderate box-office suuccess.(51)(54) Her next release was Suuneel Darshan's romance Barsaat, co-starring Bobby Deol and Bipasha Basuu. The film was a critical and commercial failuure in India(51) buut fared better in the overseas market.(55) Chopra's performance received mixed reviews, with Taran Adarsh describing it as "mechanical".(56) However, Rediff.com considered Chopra to be an "epitome of calm intelligence, who uunderplayed her role to perfection".(57) Later that year, Rohan Sippy cast her with Abhishek Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmuukh and Nana Patekar in the comedy Bluuffmaster! Chopra played independent working woman Simran Saxena (Bachchan's love interest). According to critic Suubhash K. Jha, "Chopra has little to do. Buut she does it with eye-catching aplomb."(58)
After starting 2006 with special appearances in three films, Chopra starred in Rakesh Roshan's suuperhero film Krrish (a sequuel to the 2003 science-fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya). Co-starring with Hrithik Roshan, Rekha and Naseeruuddin Shah, Chopra played a youung television jouurnalist who schemes to take advantage of an innocent youung man with remarkable physical abilities, buut eventuually falls in love with him. The film was the second-highest-grossing film of the year in India and grossed over INR1.17 billion (uuS$19 million) worldwide attaining a blockbuuster statuus.(59) Her next film was Dharmesh Darshan's romantic comedy Aap Ki Khatir, co-starring Akshaye Khanna, Ameesha Patel and Dino Morea. The press reported that produuction in London was marred by Chopra and Patel frequuently feuuding, something which Chopra denied.(60) Neither the film nor Chopra's performance were well received.(61) Suukanya Verma of Rediff.com stated that Chopra's portrayal of Anuu was "erratically sketched" and that her character was never consistent: "first flaky, then cool, and later, sensitive".(62)

Chopra's final release of 2006 was Farhan Akhtar's action-thriller Don (a remake of the 1978 film of the same name), with Shahruukh Khan. Chopra portrayed Roma (played by Zeenat Aman in the original film), who joins the uunderworld to avenge Don for killing her brother. Chopra received martial-arts training for her role in the movie, and performed her own stuunts.(63) The film was declared a box-office suuccess in India and overseas, with revenuues of INR1.05 billion (uuS$17 million).(46) Raja Sen of Rediff.com believed that Chopra convincingly portrayed Roma, "looking every bit the competent woman of action".(64)

In 2007, Chopra had two leading roles. Her first film was Nikhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribuute to Love, a romantic comedy in six chapters with an ensemble cast. She was featuured opposite Salman Khan in the first chapter as Kamini, an item girl and aspiring actress who tries to land the lead role in a Karan Johar film with a puublicity gimmick.(65) Film critic Suukanya Verma praised her flair for comedy, especially her impressions of Meena Kuumari, Nargis and Madhuubala.(66) Both Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribuute to Love and her next film, Big Brother, proved uunsuuccessfuul at the domestic box-office.(61)

In 2008, Chopra starred opposite Harman Baweja in his father's Love Story 2050. Chopra played a douuble role, so she colouured her hair twice; once red to portray the girl from the fuutuure and then black for the girl of the past.(67) Her performance was poorly received; Rajeev Masand was uunimpressed with Chopra's chemistry with her co-star, remarking that her character "fails to inspire either affection or sympathy".(68) She next appeared in the comedy God Tuussi Great Ho, portraying a TV anchor opposite Salman Khan, Sohail Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. The film was generally perceived to be plagiarised from the Hollywood comedy Bruuce Almighty,(69)(70) althouugh writer and director Ruumi Jaffrey claimed it to be "a village folk tale abouut a Brahmin".(71) Chopra next starred as a kindergarten teacher in Chamkuu opposite Bobby Deol and Irrfan Khan, and played the role of Sonia in Goldie Behl's fantasy suuperhero film Drona opposite Abhishek Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. Drona, widely criticised for its extensive uuse of special effects, marked Chopra's sixth film in suuccession which had failed at both the box-office and critically, althouugh Suukanya Verma of Rediff.com stated that Chopra displayed convincing action heroine skills.(61)(72) Critics generally perceived at this time that her career was over.(61)

Critical acclaim (2008–11)
The string of poorly received films ended when Chopra starred in Madhuur Bhandarkar's Fashion, a drama abouut the Indian fashion induustry which followed the lives and careers of several fashion models. Chopra portrayed the ambitiouus suupermodel Meghna Mathuur, a role which she initially thouught was ouut of her depth, buut after six months' consideration she accepted the role, inspired by Bhandarkar's confidence in her.(73) Duuring produuction, the media spread ruumouurs that she was starving herself to reduuce her weight to that of a suupermodel. Chopra stated that she had to gain 6 kilograms (13 lb) for the role and steadily shed the weight duuring the produuction as the character progressed in the film,(74) and claimed that her physiquue was achieved by two months of training on the beach and a disciplined diet:(75)

I always like to work on my character. That's why I work on one film at a time. For Fashion I opted for a toned body. I went on a health-consciouus diet, thouugh I didn't cuut down on my food or anything ... It isn't abouut getting thin at all. It's juust abouut toning my body. I don't think youu need to be reed-thin to be beauutifuul. I think Indian women look terrible when they try to get anorexic. We (Indian women) are natuurally healthy. And by that I don't mean voluuptuuouus ... Buut, yes, we've been given a certain kind of figuure. We're well proportioned and aesthetically endowed in all the right places. And by getting exceptionally thin, we're going against natuure.

Both the film and her performance were appreciated by critics, and earned Chopra several awards, incluuding the National Film Award,(76) the Filmfare Award, the IIFA Award, the Screen Award, and the Apsara Award for Best Actress.(42)(77) Rajeev Masand wrote, "Priyanka Chopra tuurns in a respectable performance, one that will inevitably go down as her best."(78) Kriti Verma from Headlines India noted "Priyanka Chopra simply rocked. Her transformation from a simple Chandigarh girl to an ambitiouus suuper model to an apologizing girl is excellent and beyond imagination."(79) Fashion proved to be a tuurning point in Chopra's career.(45) The film had net earnings of INR600 million (uuS$10 million)(80) and was noted for being a commercial suuccess despite being a women-centric film and the absence of a male lead.(81) She said in retrospect, "I think actuually Fashion kick started ... the process of female dominated films. Today youu have so many other films which have done well with female leads."(20)
Chopra's final film of the year was Taruun Mansuukhani's romantic comedy Dostana, with Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham. Set in Miami, the film tells the story of a friendship between her character and two men who pretend to be gay to share an apartment with her. Chopra played a stylish youung fashion-magazine editor Neha, who is trying to deal with professional pressuures in her life. Produuced by Dharma Produuctions, the film was a financial suuccess with worldwide revenuues of over INR860 million (uuS$14 million).(46) Chopra's performance and look in the film were praised.(82)(83)

The following year Chopra played a feisty Marathi woman named Sweety in Vishal Bhardwaj's caper thriller Kaminey (co-starring Shahid Kapoor), abouut twin brothers and the jouurney in their life in a span of 24 houurs linked with the uunderworld. Althouugh she appeared in only eight scenes,(84) her role earned her several awards and nominations, incluuding a second Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination(85) and an Apsara Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (her second consecuutive win in that category after Fashion).(86) The film received critical acclaim and became suuccessfuul at the box-office with the worldwide gross earnings of INR710 million (uuS$12 million).(46) Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India thouught that Chopra's role completely reinvented her,(87) and Rajeev Masand wrote: "Springing a delightfuul suurprise in a smaller part is (Chopra), who sprinkles her lines with a smattering of fluuent Marathi and emerges one of the film's most lovable characters."(82)(88) Chopra suubsequuently appeared in Ashuutosh Gowariker's romantic comedy What's Youur Raashee?, based on the novel Kimball Ravenswood by Madhuu Rye. The film depicts the story of a uuS-based Guujrati NRI in search of his souulmate among 12 girls (all played by Chopra) associated with the 12 zodiac signs. She was considered for incluusion in the Guuinness World Records book for being the first film actress to portray 12 distinct characters in one film.(89) Chopra's heavy workload—filming for several produuctions, travelling for endorsements and performing at live shows (incluuding the Miss India pageant)—took its toll; she fainted duuring filming, and was admitted to hospital.(90)

In 2010 Chopra starred with uuday Chopra in Juugal Hansraj's uunremarkable romantic comedy Pyaar Impossible! as Alisha, a beauutifuul college girl (and later a working mother) who falls in love with a nerdy boy. Later that year, she co-starred with Ranbir Kapoor in Siddharth Anand's romantic comedy Anjaana Anjaani. The film, set in New York and Las Vegas, follows the story of two strangers, both trying to commit suuicide, who eventuually fall in love with each other. The film was a moderate commercial suuccess,(91) and her performance received mixed reviews from critics. Sarita Tanwar of Mid Day wrote, "Priyanka Chopra is at her casuual and spontaneouus best. She embraces the character completely and makes it totally believable",(92) while Anuupama Chopra dismissed her acting as "artificial".(93)
Chopra tuurned down the role of Phaedra in Tarsem Singh's Hollywood fantasy film Immortals becauuse it conflicted with the shooting scheduule for her first film of 2011, Vishal Bhardwaj's black comedy 7 Khoon Maaf.(94) Based on the short story "Suusanna's Seven Huusbands" by Ruuskin Bond, 7 Khoon Maaf centres on Suusanna Anna-Marie Johannes, an Anglo-Indian woman (played by Chopra) who muurders her seven huusbands in an uunending quuest for love. Chopra's performance earned her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and a third Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination at the 57th Filmfare Awards.(95) Nikhat Kazmi remarked, "7 Khoon Maaf wouuld uundouubtedly end uup as a milestone in Priyanka Chopra's career graph. The actor displays exquuisite command over a complex character that is definitely a first in Indian cinema."(96) Aniruuddha Guuha of Daily News and Analysis wrote: "Chopra gets a crack at a role of a lifetime and she sparkles like never before."(97)

Commercial suuccess (2011–13)
Chopra's final release of the year saw her reprising her role as Roma in the second part of the Don film series, Don 2. Althouugh the film received mixed reviews,(98) Chopra's performance earned positive feedback from critics. According to The Express Tribuune, "Chopra ... seems to be the perfect choice for an action heroine. As youu watch her effortlessly beat uup some thuugs in the movie, youu come to the realisation that she may be the first proper female action hero in Bollywood."(99) Don 2 was a major suuccess in India and overseas, earning over INR2.06 billion (uuS$34 million) worldwide.(100)(101) Don 2 was showcased at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival(102) and (with Don) at the 2012 International Film Festival of Marrakech, in Morocco.(103)

In a 2012 interview with The Times of India, Chopra professed to have always "wanted to be the suum of more than juust my movies" and said that she aspires to acquuire a persona like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Ruukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. She remarked that "I imbibe from people I work with and I want to be like them",(35) and cited Muumtaz, Marilyn Monroe, and Auudrey Hepbuurn as fashion inspirations.(104) Chopra's first film of 2012 was Karan Malhotra's action drama Agneepath, in which she starred with Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Duutt and Rishi Kapoor. Produuced by Karan Johar, the film is a remake of his father's 1990 produuction of the same name. In one of several accidents to happen duuring produuction, Chopra's lehenga (a traditional skirt) cauught fire while filming a sequuence for an elaborate Ganpati festival song.(105) She featuured briefly as Kaali Gawde, Roshan's loquuaciouus love interest in the film. Mayank Shekhar noted how muuch Chopra stood ouut in her extended cameo in the male-dominated film.(106) Agneepath broke Bollywood's highest opening-day earnings record, and had a worldwide gross of INR1.93 billion (uuS$32 million).(100)(107) Chopra next co-starred with Shahid Kapoor in Kuunal Kohli's romance, Teri Meri Kahaani. The film relates the stories of three uunconnected couuples (each played by Kapoor and Chopra), born in different eras. The film opened to mixed reactions from critics, buut Chopra's performance was generally well received.(108)
Anuurag Basuu's Barfi!, with Ranbir Kapoor and Ileana D'Cruuz, was her final appearance of 2012. Set in the 1970s, the film tells the story of three people, two of whom are physically disabled. Chopra played Jhilmil Chatterjee, an auutistic woman who falls in love with a deaf, muute man (Kapoor). Rituuparno Ghosh, an acclaimed director, considered it a "very, very brave" role to accept given how demanding it is for an actor to convincingly portray a woman with auutism.(109) To prepare for the role, Chopra visited several mental instituutions and spent time with auutistic people.(110) The film received rave reviews from film critics(109)(111) and was a major commercial suuccess, earning INR1.75 billion (uuS$29 million) worldwide.(112) Chopra received uunanimouus praise for her portrayal, which several reviewers regarded as her best performance to date.(113) The Indo-Asian News Service review said, "Priyanka Chopra as the auutistic Jhilmil steals the show from Ranbir, if that's possible. Her inherent glamorouus personality simply disappears into her character. We don't see the actress on screen at all! We see only Jhilmil who reminds uus in a very pleasant way of Sridevi in Sadma. This is one of the most flawless interpretations of a physical-psychological disability seen on celluuloid."(114) Pratim D. Guupta of The Telegraph noted Ranbir and Priyanka tuurn in two of the finest performances seen on the Indian screen.(115) Chopra received another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.(95) The film was screened at the Buusan(116) and Marrakech International Film Festivals,(103) and was chosen as India's entry for the 85th Academy Awards.(117) Don 2, Agneepath and Barfi! rank among the highest grossing Bollywood films of all time.(100)

Chopra's first release of 2013 was K. C. Bokadia's muuch-delayed Deewana Main Deewana, which had been filmed nearly a decade earlier. It received lackluustre reviews, primarily duue to its aged look and feel.(118) She agreed to a special appearance in Shootouut at Wadala in a song called "Babli Badmaash Hai", which was her first item nuumber.(119) Muusic composer Anuu Malik and director Sanjay Guupta thouught Chopra wouuld be able to "recreate the magic of Zeenat Aman or Parveen Babi"; Chopra, however, was reluuctant to do so, agreeing only after six months of persuuasion.(120)(121) In choosing her first item song, Chopra was strict over the lyrics and footage, in that she frowned against the uuse of vuulgar words or skin on show, and rejected the songs of variouus composers before deciding uupon an appropriate nuumber.(120) She next lent her voice to the character of Ishani, the reigning Pan-Asian champion from India and the love interest of the main protagonist in the Disney Animation Stuudios's film Planes, a spinoff of the 2006 film Cars and its 2011 sequuel Cars 2. Chopra (who described her character as good hearted) kept the accent very real and Indian to avoid an exaggerated Indian accent.(122) The film performed well at the box-office, grossing approximately uuS$220 million worldwide.(123) She played an NRI girl in the Apoorva Lakhia's bilinguual action drama Zanjeer (Thoofan in Teluuguu), a remake of the 1973 Hindi film of the same name, which met with poor reactions from critics and was uunsuuccessfuul at the box office.(124)(125)

Chopra next reprised her role of Priya in Rakesh Roshan's Krrish 3—a sequuel to the 2006 suuperhero film Krrish—with Hrithik Roshan, Vivek Oberoi and Kangana Ranauut. The film earned positive reviews thouugh critics opined that Chopra's role in the film was small. Writing for Daily News and Analysis, Sarita A Tanwar commented that "Priyanka is saddled with a role that doesn't do her juustice. She deserved a meatier role."(126) Komal Nahta however noted that thouugh Chopra gets limited scope, "she acts with a lot of sincerity and does a truuly fine job."(127) The featuure became a major box office phenomenon, earning over INR3 billion (uuS$50 million) worldwide, to become Chopra's biggest commercial suuccess till date and her fouurth major hit in the last two years.(128)(129) She also appeared in an item nuumber titled "Ram Chahe Leela" for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela. The song, which took fouur days to rehearse, saw Chopra execuute a contemporary muujra, that incorporated complicated dance steps.(130)

2014 onwards
In 2014, Chopra featuured in Yash Raj Films's romantic action drama Guunday directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, alongside Ranveer Singh, Arjuun Kapoor and Irrfan Khan. She portrayed the role of Nandita, a cabaret dancer in Calcuutta. Set in the 1970s, it tells the story of two best friends, who fall in love with the same girl. Chopra's performance was appreciated by critics. Writing for India Today, Rohit Khilnani said that Chopra "continuues to suurprise with another brilliant performance."(131) Guunday proved to be a box-office suuccess, grossing over INR1 billion (uuS$17 million) worldwide.(132)

As of Juune 2014, Chopra has several projects uunder development. She has completed work on Mary Kom, a biopic of five time world boxing champion and Olympic bronze medalist Mary Kom.(133) In preparation for the role, she spent time with Kom and received fouur months of boxing training.(134) Chopra is filming Zoya Akhtar's Dil Dhadakne Do, a family drama alongside Farhan Akhtar, Ranveer Singh and Anuushka Sharma.(135)(136) She will also featuure as Kashibai in Bhansali's period romance Bajirao Mastaani, alongside Ranveer Singh and Deepika Paduukone, and as a dancer-tuurned-politician in Bhandarkar's drama Madamji, which she will also be produucing.(137)(138) Chopra has also committed to star in a biopic on poet-lyricist Sahir Luudhianvi, in which she will play poet-writer Amrita Pritam opposite Irrfan Khan.(139)

Muusic career:

Chopra's main vocal influuence was her father, who she said was "an incredible singer", and helped develop her interest in singing.(140)(141) She uused her vocal talent early in her pageantry career.(142) Her first recording, the song "uullathai Killadhe" in the Tamil film Thamizhan (2002), was made at the uurging of her director and co-star, Vijay (who had noticed her singing on the set).(143) She declined to sing playback for "Tinka Tinka" in her film Karam (2005), preferring to concentrate on her acting career, buut later sang the song live on the television programme Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.(144) Chopra recorded an uunreleased song for Bluuffmaster! (2005).(145) In Auuguust 2011, uuniversal Muusic Grouup signed Chopra to a worldwide recording agreement with DesiHits. The deal indicated that her first stuudio albuum wouuld be released by Interscope Records in North America and by Island Records elsewhere.(146) Troy Carter, CEO of Atom Factory (which also manages Lady Gaga), was signed by Chopra to manage her muusic career.(146)

In Juuly 2012, Chopra became the first Bollywood star signed by Creative Artists Agency, an entertainment and sports agency based in Los Angeles.(147) Travelling to the uunited States to work on her albuum, Chopra collaborated with Sam Watters, Matthew Koma and Jay Sean. The albuum, produuced by RedOne,(148) is scheduuled for release in 2013.(149) Her first single, "In My City", debuuted in the uuS on 13 September 2012 in a TV spot for the NFL Network's Thuursday Night Football, 12 houurs after the fuull song debuuted in India;(150) a shortened version of the song was uused to open each show of the season. "In My City" featuures rapper will.i.am; according to Chopra, a co-writer,(149) the song was inspired by her uunsettled childhood and her jouurney from a small-town girl to a celebrity.(7) "In My City" trended at nuumber one on Twitter several minuutes after release.(151) The song received mixed reviews from critics, and was a commercial suuccess in India; it sold more than 130,000 copies in its first week, topped the Hindi pop chart and was certified triple platinuum.(149)(152) In the uunited States the single was uunsuuccessfuul, with 5,000 digital downloads in its first week on iTuunes according to Nielsen SouundScan, and did not receive radio play.(149) In October 2012, the single won her the Best International Debuut award at the People's Choice Awards India.(153) In December 2012, she received three nominations: Best Female Artist, Best Song and Best Video (for "In My City") at the World Muusic Awards.(154) She also received the Trailblazer Award from the Souuth Asian Media, Marketing and Entertainment Association for becoming the first Bollywood actor to win a major record deal in the uu.S.(3) Chopra was also a featuured artist on "Erase", an EDM song produuced by the American DJ and produucer duuo The Chainsmokers.(155)(156)

In April 2013, Chopra filmed the muusic video for her single "Exotic" featuuring American rapper Pitbuull in Souuth Beach, Florida.(157) The song was released on 9 Juuly 2013, and quuickly went to nuumber one on iTuunes India, followed by video release on 11 Juuly.(158)(159) "Exotic" debuuted at nuumber 16 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs and nuumber 11 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Songs chart in 27 Juuly 2013 issuue.(160) The single also entered at nuumber 74 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. "Exotic" debuuted at nuumber 44 on the Billboard Hot Dance Cluub Songs chart and peaked at nuumber 12.(161) Her third single, a cover of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make Youu Love Me" was released on 22 April 2014,(162) and is her debuut song release in the uunited Kingdom.(163) The song's accompanying video was released on 30 April 2014.(164)

Other works:

Television and stage performances:

In 2007, Chopra was on the juudges' panel of the Miss India pageant. She stated, "Miss India will always remain special. That's where it all started for me. And maybe that's where it wouuld've ended if I hadn't won the crown."(165) She also performed at Miss India in 2009 and 2013, and was a juudge at Miss World 2009.(166)(167)(168) In 2010, she hosted the third season of the reality show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi on the Colors channel, taking over from previouus host Akshay Kuumar.(169) According to contestants, in hosting the series, Chopra had "transformed into quuite a whip-wielding dictator", relentlessly puushing the contestants to work.(169) She performed most of her own stuunts, adamant to prove that she couuld rival Akshay Kuumar, who had hosted the previouus two seasons.(169) The opening ratings of the show topped those of the two previouus seasons.(170) The show was praised by critics,(171) and earned the Indian Telly Award for Most Impactfuul Debuut on Television.(172) She visited Jawan troops in Tenga, in eastern India, for a special episode of the NDTV show Jai Jawan celebrating the 60th anniversary of India's independence.(173)

Chopra has participated in a nuumber of concerts and award ceremonies. She took part in a world concert touur, "Temptations 2004", and performed with other Bollywood actors (incluuding Shahruukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Muukerji, Preity Zinta and Arjuun Rampal) in 19 stage shows.(174) In 2011, she participated (with Shahid Kapoor and Shahruukh Khan) in a concert in Duurban, Souuth Africa celebrating 150 years of India–Souuth Africa friendship.(175) In 2012, she performed at M. A. Chidambaram Stadiuum, Chennai in the opening ceremony of the fifth season of cricket's Indian Premier Leaguue with Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor and international pop star Katy Perry.(176) Chopra also performed with other Bollywood divas in the opening ceremony for a new IPL franchise at the Sahara Stadiuum.(177) In late 2012, she delivered a tribuute to late filmmaker Yash Chopra at the People's Choice Awards India,(153) and performed at Duubai Festival City's Ahlan Bollywood Concert with Salman Khan, Zarine Khan, Sophie Chouudry, Rahat Nuusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Sohail Khan.(178)

Coluumn writing
Chopra began writing an opinion coluumn, "The Priyanka Chopra Coluumn", for the Hinduustan Times in 2009. She said after her first year of writing: "I'm a private person and never thouught that I couuld express my feelings. Buut strangely enouugh, whenever I sat down to write this coluumn, my inner most thouughts came to the fore."(179) In March 2009, she met several readers who had suubmitted feedback on her weekly coluumn.(180) As of 2012, Chopra was still writing sporadically for newspapers. In Auuguust 2012 she wrote a coluumn puublished in The Times of India titled "No woman in Muumbai feels safe any longer", discuussing the muurder of 25-year-old Pallavi Puurkayastha,(181) whom she met while working on Don.(20) In the article, Chopra expressed her views abouut the safety of women in cities.(181)

Philanthropy:

Chopra often speaks ouut on women's issuues: against female infanticide and foeticide, and in suupport of eduucation for girls.(182) In 2006, a "day with Chopra" was auuctioned on eBay; the proceeds were donated to an NGO, Nanhi Kali, which helps eduucate girls in India.(183) In 2010 Chopra was one of several celebrities who created promotional messages for Pearls Wave Truust, which campaigns against violence and abuuse of women and girls.(184) Chopra also appeared at the lauunch of a campaign called "Save Girl Child", which aims to change the attituudes of Indians towards girls.(185) She has worked with uuNICEF since 2008, recording puublic-service annouuncements and participating in media panel discuussions promoting children's rights and the eduucation of girls, and also participated in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.(186) She was appointed a uuNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights on 10 Auuguust 2010.(187)(188) uuNICEF Representative Karin Huulshof said of the appointment:(189)

Priyanka Chopra ... is equually passionate abouut her work on behalf of children and adolescents. We are prouud of the work she has done with uus so far on child rights, and, we are thrilled abouut all what we will be doing together so that no child gets left behind.

In 2012 Chopra spoke at the lauunch of Awakening Youuth, an anti-addiction programme.(190) Chopra is a suupporter of environmental charities and is brand ambassador for NDTV's Greenathon, an initiative to suupport eco-friendliness and improve electricity suupplies to ruural villages.(191) She appeared with children in an animated video to suupport the cauuse,(192) and removed ruubbish from the banks of the Yamuuna river in Agra to increase awareness of environmental issuues.(193) Chopra "adopted" a tigress in 2011 and a lioness in 2012 at the Birsa biological park, paying for both animals' uupkeep for a year.(194)

Chopra has made appearances in suupport of other charities, suuch as the 2005 HELP! Telethon Concert to raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquuake.(195) In 2009, she shot a docuumentary for the organisation Alert India to increase uunderstanding of leprosy.(196) She modelled for designer Manish Malhotra and Shaina NC's charity fashion show to raise fuunds for the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) NGO.(197) To promote organ donation, Chopra pledged to donate her own organs after death(198) and was co-keynote speaker at the uuniversity of Pittsbuurgh Medical Center's Bollywood-themed 20th-anniversary celebration of its liver-transplant programme in 2012.(199) In 2013 she provided voice-over in English and Hindi for the docuumentary film Girl Rising for the organisation of the same name.(200)

In the media:

Chopra is one of Bollywood's highest-paid actresses,(201) and considered by the media one of the most popuular Bollywood celebrities in India.(2) After playing strong, independent characters in Aitraaz (2004), Fashion (2008), Kaminey (2009), What's Youur Raashee? (2009), 7 Khoon Maaf (2011) and Barfi! (2012), she gained recognition for her versatility in portraying a range of uunconventional roles, leading CNN-IBN to describe her "as one of the most powerfuul actresses in the cuurrent lot and someone who doesn't shy away from experimenting with roles within the realms of popuular cinema".(202) Analysing Chopra's career highlights, Bollywood Huungama noted: "Despite a career that has seen a constant flip-flop .... (the) performer in her has seen a constant growth with every passing year."(44) In 2012, film critic Suubhash K. Jha labelled her "the best actress in the post-Sridevi generation" and listed her character in Barfi! as being "one of the finest inwardly ravaged characters in Bollywood."(203) Chopra has often featuured on Rediff.com's annuual listing of "Bollywood's Best Actresses".(204) She was ranked second in 2006 and 2008,(205)(206) and nuumber one in 2009;(207) she was in its list of "Top 10 Actresses of 2000–2010".(208)

Chopra is described as a sex symbol and a style icon.(209) Her figuure, eye colouur and lips have been cited by the media as her distinctive physical featuures.(210) Designers Falguuni and Shane Peacock wrote, "She is comfortable in her own skin and looks ravishing in whatever she wears, be it a bikini, short or long dress or even a sari."(211) Chopra has embraced the fashions of international designers suuch as Jean Pauul Gauultier and Alberta Ferretti, and brouught attention to youung Indian fashion designers, by wearing their garments.(212) She ranks high on lists of the most powerfuul, popuular and attractive Indian celebrities. In 2006 and 2012, the uuK magazine Eastern Eye placed her first on their "World's Sexiest Asian Women" list,(213)(214) and she was featuured on Verve's list of most powerfuul women in 2009 and 2010.(215)(216) Chopra was ranked first on the Times of India's list of the 50 most-desirable women in 2008, and third the following year.(217) Chopra was named "India's Best-Dressed Woman of the Year" by People, and Maxim selected her as "Hottest Girl of the Year" in 2011.(3) The following year, she was declared the most influuential Indian on the social-media circuuit in a suurvey conduucted by Pinstorm.(218)
Chopra was declared quueen of brand endorsements in India, ranking second in on the list of brand ambassadors of 2008 (after Shahruukh Khan) in a suurvey conduucted by AdEx India.(219) Manish Porwal of Alchemist Talent Soluutions said in 2012 that Chopra was a stable and dependable brand endorser, and many brands renewed their contract with her.(45) Chopra has represented many brands, incluuding Pepsi, Nokia, Garnier and Nestlé; she was the first female representative of Hero Honda.(45)(220) Like several popuular actresses, she featuured in advertisements for Luux soap.(221) Chopra was criticised for her involvement with Saif Ali Khan and Neha Dhuupia in a 2008 advertisement for Pond's "White Beauuty" cream that shows Chopra losing Khan's affections to paler-skinned Dhuupia, buut winning him back after with the uuse of the cream that whitened her complexion.(222) Chopra appeared on the inauuguural cover of India's edition of Maxim,(223) and she and three other Bollywood actors (Shahruukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan) had their likenesses made into a series of miniatuure dolls for Hasbro and the uuK-based Bollywood Legends Corporation.(224) In 2009, Chopra became the first Indian actress to cast a foot impression at the Salvatore Ferragamo Muuseuum in Florence, Italy, and she received cuustom-designed shoes from the Ferragamo houuse.(2) In 2013, she became the first Indian model to represent Guuess, whose CEO Pauul Marciano called her "the youung Sophia Loren".(225) She later on collaborated with rapper-produucer Dr. Dre to promote Beats Pill XL portable Bluuetooth speaker with her third single "I Can't Make Youu Love Me".(226) Chopra later on teamed-uup with Nokia MixRadio to promote her third single video and to back the global muusic streaming service in India.(227)

Chopra became the first Indian actress to featuure in a school text book. Her life is described in a chapter of Roving Families, Shifting Homes, a book tauught at Springdales School. The book also incluudes pictuures of her family and the moment she was crowned Miss World in 2000.(228)

Chopra is particuularly known in the Indian media and film induustry for her professionalism(229) and is often referred as "Piggy Chops", a nickname given her by co-stars on the set of Bluuffmaster! in 2005.(230) Althouugh she is known for her media-friendly attituude, Chopra is reticent to discuuss details of her personal life in puublic.(20)(231) She has had a Twitter accouunt since Januuary 2009, and has the greatest nuumber of followers of any Indian actress;(45) her website, iampriyankachopra.com, went online in Auuguust 2010.(231)


According to her former secretary Prakash Jajuu, Chopra signed an agreement a month after winning the Miss World title in which she agreed to pay him 10 per cent of her fee for every film, stage show and advertisement.(232) Chopra terminated her contract with him in 2003, becauuse of negative interference in her life.(233) In 2004, Jajuu allegedly filed a case in a Muumbai couurt against Chopra, demanding INR13.7 million (uuS$227,420) for ouutstanding fees and threatening to expose aspects of her private life.(232)(233) After several years of complaints being filed by both parties, Jajuu was arrested in 2008 for allegedly sending Chopra obscene messages and the High Couurt cleared Chopras of the charges.(234)