Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress known for her work in nearly 50 films and for her break-through role on the American TV drama 'Quantico.'

Who Is Priyanka Chopra?

Priyanka Chopra was born on July 18, 1982, in Jamshedpur, India. When she was in high school, Chopra won the Miss India pageant, and she soon followed it by taking the 2000 Miss World pageant as well. On the heels of that international success, Chopra turned her sights to the film world, and in the past 15 years, she has become a huge star, appearing in nearly 50 films, chiefly in the Bollywood system. In 2015 she signed on to the American TV drama series Quantico, which focuses on FBI recruits.

Bollywood Films

priyanka chopra in Tamizhan

At the age of 20, Chopra made her debut in the 2002 film Tamizhan and followed it that same year with Jeet: Born to Win. Of her debut, Chopra was clear: “I hated it!” she has said. “I wanted to leave the industry once I did it! I didn't know what I was saying or doing.”

priyanka chopra in The Hero: Love Story of a Spy.

In 2003 she appeared in her first Bollywood film, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. That same year she appeared in Andaaz, and this kicked off a long string of films, including Plan, Kismat, Asambhav, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi and Aitrazz — incredibly, all released in 2004. While most of these films underperformed at the box office, Chopra found success with the romantic comedy, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi.

priyanka chopra in Blackmail

Not content with making five films in a single year, in 2005, Chopra starred in six, including Blackmail, Karam, Yakeen and Barsaat, none of which were box-office performers. She followed these in 2006 with two of the year’s most successful films, Krrish and Don, but she was also in four other films that year that came and went unnoticed. In 2007 Chopra found little success at the box office, and in 2008 she returned with another six more. One of her 2008 films, Fashion, struck a chord with critics, and in 2009 Chopra stretched her abilities playing 12 different roles in What’s Your Raashee?

priyanka chopra in Fashion

'Mary Kom'

priyanka chopra in Marry kom

In 2014 she starred in the title role of Mary Kom, a film based on the real-life story of the female boxing champion. The film was the first Hindi-made movie to premiere on opening night at the Toronto International Film Festival and put Chopra in the global cinema spotlight once more.

Bajirao Mastani

In all, over the course of her short career, Chopra has appeared in nearly 50 films, with more recent titles including Agneepath, Barfi! and Bajirao Mastani.

'Quantico'

priyanka chopra in Quantico

In 2015 Chopra signed on to the cast of Quantico, an American TV show about FBI recruits. With the role, Chopra became the first Indian woman to star in a leading American TV network drama and marks her most visible crossover to date from Bollywood to Hollywood. The show and Chopra's performance have received praise from critics and audiences alike, and Chopra has won a number of People's Choice Awards for her acting.

priyanka chopra in Quantico

In May 2018 ABC announced that Quantico would not move forward to a fourth season. Its complex storyline and heavily serialized nature was said to be contributors to its ratings decline.

priyanka chopra in Quantico

Chopra's international fame has allowed her to star in more prominent Indian films, including Bajirao Mastani (2015), which became one of the biggest box office hits in India. Her portrayal as a general's wife brought her a slew of awards.

priyanka chopra in Baywatch

In America, Chopra wasn't so lucky when she starred in Seth Gordon's Baywatch (2017), as it was panned by critics, but some admittedly found her character as one of the highlights of the comedy.

Upcoming Projects

priyanka chopra in A Kid Like Jake

Juggling multiple projects, Chopra stars in the film adaptation of A Kid Like Jake (2018), opposite Claire Danes and Octavia Spencer, and the upcoming rom-com Isn't It Romantic?, which also stars Liam Hemsworth and Rebel Wilson.

Behind the camera, Chopra is producing many Indian film projects, and is also said to be developing and executive producing a sitcom for ABC that is inspired by the life of Hindi actress Madhuri Dixit.

Early Years

Priyanka Chopra was born on July 18, 1982, in Jamshedpur, India. Both her parents are doctors, and her father was in the army, so Chopra’s family moved quite a bit as she grew up. She studied at the La Martiniere Girl’s School in Lucknow before relocating to the United States for three years. She started high school in Massachusetts before moving to British Columbia, Canada. From there it was back to India, and Chopra then attended the Army Public School at Bareilly. It was during this period that Chopra’s life would begin to switch gears, as she entered and won the May Queen contest at the Bareilly Club.

Soon another beauty pageant was on her radar: the prestigious Miss India.

Miss India

"I was studying for my 12th boards, when my mother sent my pictures for the Miss India contest,” Chopra recounted. “When I got the call, I didn't know how to respond! My dad told me to give it a try. And I did…. I didn't think I would win. I just went to take a break.”

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But she did win, and although she was enrolled at Jai Hind College in Mumbai, she quickly dropped out of college to explore her more glamorous options. She soon took her Miss India crown to the 2000 Miss World pageant and won that as well, becoming one of five Indian women to take the title. With that win came instant fame, and Chopra soon took the logical next step: the world of film.