Priyanka Chopra – Biography & Life Story of an Indian Actress, Model, Singer & Producer

Priyanka Chopra Biography & Life Story

Priyanka Chopra is now Priyanka Chopra Jonas. She is an Indian actress, model, singer & producer. She is the winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant.

She is one of the India’s highest paid actress. She received many recognazions like two National Film Awards & five Filmfare Awards. In 2016, she was honored with the Padma Shri.

Well known film magazine Time named her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Later, Forbs also listed her among the World’s 100 most powerful women.

Initially, she wanted to study aeronautical engineering. However, as she accepted offers to join the Indian film industry, she started to act in movies.

In 2002, Priyanka Chopra made her acting debut in a Tamil movie Thamizhan. Later in 2003, she made her Bollywood debut in Hindi movie, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy.

Later, she acted in many films like Andaaz, Muhjse Shaadi Karogi, Aitraz, Krish, Don, Fashion, Dostana, Barfi, Mary Kom etc.

During 2015 to 2018, she became first South Indian to headline an American network drama series. In 2019, she co-produced Sky Is Pink.

During 2017 to 2021, she acted in Hollywood films like Baywatch, Isn’t It Romantic, The White Tiger, and The Matrix Resurrections.

Priyanka Chopra also promotes social causes like environment and women’s rights. She is vocal about gender equality, the gender pay gap, and feminism.

Since 2006, she worked with UNICEF. In 2010 & 2016, she was appointed as the national & global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for child rights.

In 2011, she ventured into music & signed with Universal Music Group. She published her memoir Unfinished, it reached The New York Times Best Seller list.

Priyanka Chopra’s Early & Personal life:

Priyanka Chopra was born on 18^th July 1982 in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. Ashok & Madhu Chopra are her parents. They both are physicians in the Indian Army.

Her father was a Punjabi Hindu from Ambala & her mother was from Jharkhand. She has a brother named Siddharth.

As her parents were posted in a number of places in India, she also moved to Delhi, Chandigarh, Ambala, Ladakh, Lucknow, Barelly & Pune.

She attended La Martiniere Girls’ School at Lucknow & St. Maria Goretti College in Barelly. As of Priyanks, it was a new experience for them & a way to discover India’s multicultural society.

She has nice memories from her childhood at Ladakh. She considers Bareilly as her home town. At the age of 13, she moved to US for further studies.

There she attended school in Newton, Massachusetts, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as she lived with her aunt & her family moved frequently.

During her stay at Massachusetts, she participated in several theatre productions. She also studied Western classical music & choral singing.

After returning to India, she completed her high-school education at the Army Public School in Bareilly. There she won the local May Queen beauty pageant.

Later, she was pursed by admires. In 2000, her mother entered her in the Femina Miss India contest. There, she finished second by winning the Femina Miss India World title.

Later, she won the Miss World pageant. She won Miss World Continental Queen of Beauty—Asia & Oceania at the Millennium Dome in London on 30 November 2000.

Priyanka Chopra was the fifth Indian contestant to win it. Both Miss India & Miss World titles bought her recognition. After that she began receiving roles in movies. 

She had strong relationship with her family including her brother. As she has not come from a film background, she describes herself as a self-made woman.

Her mother was a well-established gynecologist in Bareilly, gave up her practice to support Priyanka.
In May 2018, she started dating American singer & actor, Nick Jonas.

He proposed her on 19^th May 2018 in Crete, Greece. They became engaged in August 2018 in a Punjabi Roka ceremony in Mumbai.

In December 2018, they married at Umaid Bhawan Palace in both traditional Hindu and Christian ceremonies.

Later, she legally changed her full name to “Priyanka Chopra Jonas”. In January 2022, they had their first child, a girl, via surrogacy.

Priyanka Chopra’s Career:

Acting:

In 2002, she was cast as in Humraaz to make her film debut. Unfortunately, it did not work. So later her screen debut occurred in 2002 with a Tamil movie Thamizhan. Her role in that movie was limited from acting point of view.

In 2003, she made her Hindi film debut as a second female lead opposite Sunny Deol & Preity Zinta in The Hero: A Love Story of a Spy.

It was one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films that year. It received mixed reviews from critics. Later in the same year she appeared in Andaaz with Akshay Kumar & Lara Dutta.

Her performance in tha film earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut & nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2004, her Plan, Kismat & Asambhav performed poorly at the box-office. Later in the same year she acted in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi with Salman Khan & Akshay Kumar.

It was the third-highest-grossing film of that year. In late 2004, she acted in Aitraaz with Akshay Kumar & Kareena Kapoor.

It was a critical and commercial success and her performance received critical acclaim. She won a Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role & become the second and final actress to win the award after Kajol.

Priyanka Chopra also received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress, and the Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

In 2004, her first three releases named Plan, Kismat & Asambhav performed poor at the box office. Later, in the same year she acted in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi with Salman Khan & Akshay Kumar.

That was a commercial success & the third-highest-grossing movie of that year in India. In late 2004, she did Aitraaz with Akshay Kumar & Kareena Kapoor.

It was a critical and commercial success and her performance received critical acclaim. As of the BBC’s review writer, it was Priyanka’s film. For that she won a Filmfair Award for Best Actress in negative role.

Priyanka Chopra also received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress, and the Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

In 2005, she acted in six movies named Blackmail, Karam, Waqt: The race against Time, Yakeen & Barsaat. Among them Waqt:

The Race Against Time was well received by critics. It and was a commercial success. Later that year she was casted for Bluffmaster against Abhishek Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh and Nana Patekar.

The film proved to be a box-office success. After 2006, she had special appearance in Krrish. She also acted in Don with Shah Rukh Khan.

In 2007, her first film was Salam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love. In 2008, she starred in Love Story 2050. She starred in Fashion. That year, her last movie was Dostana with Abhishek Bachchan & John Abraham.

It was a financial success with worldwide revenues of over ₹860 million (US$11 million). For her performances in both Fashion and Dostana, she jointly won the Stardust Award for Actor of the Year – Female.

Priyanka Chopra played a feisty Marathi women role in Kaminey against Shahid Kapoor. It received critical acclaim and became successful at the box-office with the worldwide gross earnings of ₹710 million (US$9 million).

She earned several awards and nominations, including a second consecutive Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role after Fashion and Best Actress nominations at the Filmfare, Screen and IIFA awards.

She appeared in What’s Your Raashee? It was the story of a US-based Gujrati NRI in search of his soulmate among 12 girls (all played by Chopra) associated with the 12 zodiac signs.

She received the Screen Best Actress Award nomination for her performance in that movie. For that film, she was considered for inclusion in the Guinness World Records book for being the first film actress to portray 12 distinct characters in one film.

In 2010, she starred in Pyaar Impossible opposite Uday Chopra. Later in the same year, she appeared in Anjaana Anjaani with Ranbir Kapoor.

She starred as a femme fatale in Vishal Bhardwaj’s black comedy 7 Khoon Maaf in 2011. Her performance earned her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and a nomination for the Filmfare Award, IIFA Award, Producers Guild Film Award, and Screen Award for Best Actress.

Priyanka Chopra also acted in Don 2. It was a major success in India and overseas, earning over ₹2.06 billion (US$26 million) worldwide.

In 2012, she appeared in Agneepath against Hritik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt & Rishi Kapoor. It was the remake of old Agneepath.

The movie broke Bollywood’s highest opening-day earnings record, and had a worldwide gross of ₹1.93 billion (US$24 million). Later she co-starred with Shahid Kapoor in Teri Meri Kahaani.

Last in 2012, she appeared in Barfi with Ranbir Kapoor. It received critical acclaim and was a major commercial success, earning ₹1.75 billion (US$22 million) worldwide.

Priyanka Chopra received Best Actress nominations at the Filmfare, Screen, IIFA and Producers Guild Film Awards. It was chosen as India’s entry for the 85th Academy Awards.

Agneepath and Barfi! Were ranked among the highest grossing Bollywood films to that point. She lent her voice to the character of Ishani in Disneytoon Studios film Planes, a spinoff of Pixar’s Cars franchise in 2013.

It was a commercial success, grossing approximately US$240 million worldwide. Later, she acted in Krrish 3 with Hritik Roshan, Vivek Oberoi & Kangna Ranaut.

It was a box office success. For Sanjay Leela Bahnsali’s Galiyon Ki Raasleela, she danced a contemporary mujra for the song “Ram Chahe Leela”. In 2014, she acted in Gunday alongside Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor and Irrfan Khan.

Next, she next starred as the title character in Mary Kom, a biographical film of the five-time world boxing champion and Olympic bronze medalist Mary Kom.

It premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, received positive reviews from critics, and her performance received critical acclaim.

The movie emerged as a commercial success, with revenues of ₹1.04 billion (US$13 million) at the box office.

Priyanka Chopra won the Screen Award for Best Actress, the Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and received another nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

In 2015, she starred in Dil Dhadakne Do alongside Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma & Farhan Akhtar.

The whole cast of Dil Dhadakne Do won the Screen Award for Best Ensemble Cast, and Priyanka was nominated for a Screen Award, IIFA Award, and Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actress.

Again in 2016, she dubbed for Kaa, a female python in The Jungle Book (2016) OTT film. She signed a talent holding deal with ABC Studios and was later cast in the American thriller series Quantico as the character Alex Parrish.

It received positive reviews from television critics and Chopra was praised for her performance. Chopra received the People’s Choice Award for Favourite Actress In A New TV Series for her role in Quantico, becoming the first South Asian actress to win a People’s Choice Award.

Later the next year, she won a second People’s Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic TV Actress. Next she played as Kashibai, the first wife of Peshwa Bajirao in the epic historical romance drama Bajirao Mastani.

The film was major commercial success, it grossed ₹3.5 billion (US$44 million) at the box office, becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.

Priyanka Chopra won the Filmfare Award, IIFA Award, and Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress, and received a nomination for the Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Bajirao Mastani.

In 2016, she starred as a police officer in Jai Gangaajal. The following year, Chopra made her Hollywood live-action film debut by playing the antagonist Victoria Leeds in Seth Gordon’s action comedy Baywatch opposite Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron.

In 2019, Chopra had another supporting part, as a yoga ambassador, in Todd Strauss-Schulson’s comedy Isn’t It Romantic.

It starred with Rebel Wilson. It was well received by critics and grossed approximately $49 million at the North American box office.

In 2020, her only release was the Netflix kids superhero film We Can Be Heroes. In 2021, she starred in The White Tiger alongside Adarsh Gourav and Rajkummar Rao.

Priyanka Chopra’s Music career:

Her main vocal influence was her father. Early in her pageantry career, she used it. In 2002, she recorded for the song ‘Ullathai Killathe’ in Tamil language.

In 2005 she sang the song ‘Tinka Tinka’, it was live on the TV programme Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. She became the first Bollywood star signed by Creative Artist Agency in 2012.

The single won her the Best International Debut Award at the People’s Choice Awards India in 2012.
As a playback singer in Bollywood, her first song was ‘Chaoro’ from Mary Kom in 2014.

Philanthropy:

Priyanka Chopra supports many caused through her foundation “The Priyanka Chopra Foundation for Health & Education”. She donates 10% of her earnings to it.

She made appearances in support of other charities, like 2005 HELP! Telethon Concert to raise funds for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

Since 2006, she worked with UNICEF. In 2010, she was appointed as the national UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights.

Priyanka Chopra shot a documentary for the organization Alert India to increase understanding of leprosy in 2009. She did modeling for designer Manish Malhotra and Shaina NC’s charity fashion show to raise funds for the Cancer Patients Aid Association NGO.

She donated ₹5 million (US$63,000) to Nanavati hospital to build a cancer ward. It is named after her late father, was inaugurated by her in 2013. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi selected her as one of his nine nominees called “Navratna” in 2014 for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Chopra teamed-up with the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Crocs Company to donate 50,000 pairs of shoes to deserving school children in the Central American country, Belize in December 2019.

Priyanka Chopra along with husband Nick opened a fundraiser along with NGO GiveIndia to get donations for oxygen supply, COVID-19 care centers, testing, and vaccination efforts.

Priyanka Chopra’ Other work:

She set up her production company Purple Pebble Pictures with an aim to produce small budget films and introduce and promote new talent in the Indian film industry, particularly regional Indian films.

In 2018, she started investing in tech companies by investing in a coding education startup called Holberton School and the dating and social media app Bumble.

Priyanka Chopra opened her new restaurant Sona in Manhattan, featuring haute-couture Indian cuisine in March 2021.

Priyanka Chopra was on the judges panel of the Miss India pageant. Again in 2009, she served as the judge of Miss World. She presented the award for Best Film Editing at the 88th Academy Awards in February 2016.

Chopra along with her husband Nick Jonas, announced the nominees for the 93rd Academy Awards in 2021.

In 2009, she began writing an opinion column for the Hindustan Times. For that, she wrote around 50 columns.

Her stories are exceedingly personal and being an international movie star, many of them even feel relatable. Unfinished reached The New York Times Best Seller list in the United States.

Priyanka Chopra’s Public image:

In the Indian media & film industry Priyanka is known for her professionalism and is popularly referred to by the media and the film industry as “PeeCee” or “PC”.

In 2012, she was declared the most influential Indian on social-media and in 2015, Chopra appeared in HuffPost’s “100 Most Influential Women on Twitter” list, in which she was ranked first among Indians.

Priyanka Chopra is one of the most high-profile and popular celebrities in India and is described as a sex symbol and a style icon. In 2011, she was named “India’s Best-Dressed Woman of the Year” by people India.

She is also one of the highest-paid Indian celebrities. Chopra was ranked second in the list of brand ambassadors of 2008 (after Shah Rukh Khan) in a survey conducted by TAM AdEx.

The next year she shifted on first position. She has represented many brands like TAG Heuer, Pepsi, Nikon, Nokia, Garnier and Nestlé; she was the first female representative of Hero Honda.

Priyanka Chopra became the first Indian woman to represent Pantene as its global brand ambassador in 2016. In 2009, she became the first Indian actress to cast a foot impression at the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum in Florence, Ital. She received custom-designed shoes from the Ferragamo house.

In 2019, Madame Tussauds museum installed four wax sculptures of the actress in at four locations including New York, London, Sydney and a traveling exhibit between several Asian cities, making her the first Indian actor to have wax statues in four Madame Tussauds museums.

Privileges:

• In 2008, Priyanka Chopra won a National Film Award for Best Actress for Fashion.
• She also won five Filmfare Awards: Best Female Debut for Andaaz in 2003, Best Performance in a Negative Role for Aitraaz in 2004, Best Actress for Fashion in 2008, Critics Award for Best Actress for 7 Khoon Maaf in 2011, and Best Supporting Actress for Bajirao Mastani in 2015.
• She also won two People’s Choice Awards: “Favourite Actress In A New TV Series”, and “Favorite Dramatic TV Actress” for Quantico.
• Priyanka Chopra is the first South Asian actress to win a People’s Choice Award.
• In 2016, Chopra was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, by the Government of India for her contribution to arts.

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