Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas has spoken about her decision to leave Bollywood at the height of her career and pursue opportunities in Hollywood.
The actor, who built a strong career in Hindi cinema before moving to the West, recently reflected on that turning point during an appearance on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast hosted by Amanda Hirsch.
Priyanka, who won the Miss World title in 2000 and later became one of Bollywood's leading actresses, said she began feeling restricted while working in India and wanted to explore new possibilities internationally. Talking about that phase in her career, she said: "When I was working back in India, I started feeling limited… I wanted to be able to see what else was out there.”
The actor also spoke about how the lack of Indian representation in global entertainment influenced her decision to explore opportunities abroad. At the time, she said, only a few Indian-origin performers had gained visibility in Hollywood.
“Besides Mindy Kaling and Aishwarya Rai, there were very few female or male Indian actors in Hollywood. And I was like why don't we have that representation?” Priyanka said. “It made me think of myself as that girl who was in the 9th grade in America, where nobody looks like me… As someone who was starting to seek work in Hollywood, I thought where do I stand? How do I begin?… It came from the need to want and see what the possibilities were there.”
Chopra also addressed speculation about difficult experiences within the Indian film industry. She said every career comes with challenges, but she believes in moving forward instead of staying in negative situations. “I am someone who just doesn't like staying in the s**t because then you get used to the smell,” she said.
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The actor added that adapting and changing direction have always been an important part of her journey. “I believe strongly in pivoting. When life gets tough, we have the ability to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, take a moment to grieve and feel the pain—and then pivot. I have done that many times in my career.”
Priyanka also admitted that when she decided to try her luck in Hollywood, she did not have a clear roadmap. “The only thing I knew was that I'm a hard worker and I know my craft. Put me on a set with any filmmaker or co-actor and I'll stand toe-to-toe. So I went out there and started working,” she said.
After delivering several successful Hindi films such as Barfi, Mary Kom, Dil Dhadakne Do and Bajirao Mastani, Priyanka began her international journey with the television series Quantico in 2015. She later appeared in projects including Baywatch, Citadel, Love Again and The Bluff.
The actor now lives in the United States with her husband Nick Jonas and their daughter Malti Marie.
She is also set to return to Indian cinema with director SS Rajamouli's upcoming film Varanasi, which will also star Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran and is expected to release in 2027.
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